TEACHER'S CORNER: CLASSROOM BRINGS EXPERIENCES

BENTON -- Linda Shaffar is no stranger to working with young children. After all, she has been working in the education field for more than 20 years, and she is the mother of two children.

Shaffar is in her second year as a teacher at St. Denis School in Benton, where she teaches third- and fourth-graders. There are some unique problems that arise in a double classroom, she said, but there are also some special rewards, and there is never a dull moment.

For example, younger children gain from the knowledge and experiences of the older children, she said. Older children also benefit from the tutoring and mentoring opportunities the younger children provide, she said.

Shaffar said she believes the largest benefit from the double classroom experience is the opportunity for students to develop strong bonds with others.

Each year, Shaffar said she tries to find challenging and exciting experiences to present to her students. "One project that the children enjoy every year is the time capsule," she said. At the beginning of the school year, Shaffar measures the height and hand size of each of her students. The children then place things of interest in a shoebox, wrap the box, and hide it in a safe place until the end of the year.

"What fun the children have at the end of the school year discovering how much each child has grown and how much his or her interests have changed," she said.

Shaffar is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. She has taught kindergarten and worked as an aide in various districts in the area. She said she enjoys teaching and learning from her students.

"In the past two years, the children and I both have learned a lot of things together. We all have made our share of mistakes, but that is one of the joys of teaching. Hopefully, we have all learned that nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes. That's just part of learning."