TEACHER'S CORNER: ALMA SCHRADER TEACHER WORKS IN CLASSROOM SHE ATTENDED AS CHILD

Alma Schrader Elementary School teacher Missy Ashby is a newcomer to the field of education, but she is starting her career on familiar ground.

Ashby, who graduated from Southeast Missouri State University last May, attended Alma Schrader and currently teaches in the same sixth-grade classroom she once attended class.

"This familiarity with the school and some of my fellow teachers has provided a wonderful experience for a first-year teacher," she said. "I could not ask for a more supportive environment."

Ashby said children need to feel ownership in a classroom in order for the learning atmosphere to be comfortable. She tries to instill this feeling by letting students share their ideas and create as many things as possible for the classroom.

"They help to create everything from the daily schedule to the bulletin boards," she said. "We also have a comment box in the classroom so that children may submit items anonymously. This gives my students an opportunity to express ideas or concerns without having to share them in front of the class."

She also makes sure every student knows her favorite classroom rule: Everyone is responsible for his or her own learning. "I see it then as my responsibility as their teacher to make learning fun and something the students want to do," she said.

Ashby said she became a teacher because she enjoys working with children and appreciates their honesty and sincerity. Whether teaching a skill, providing an ear to listen or sharing a smile, teachers can have a positive influence in a child's life, she said.