TEACHER'S CORNER: KEEPING THIRD-GRADERS BUSY IS TEACHER'S AIM

ORAN -- Saundra Hasenkamp's goal is to keep her third-graders busy and learning throughout the school day. She teaches at Guardian Angel School in Oran.

"As much as possible in social studies and science, I use hands-on activities to teach concepts," Hasenkamp said. "The children use scrap paper frequently throughout the day working out solutions to what we are studying."

Hasenkamp's students also spend time working in cooperative learning groups.

"I went into teaching because I love working with children," she said. "Each day is different and brings new challenges. To meet those challenges a sense of humor is a must."

Hasenkamp is a resident of Benton. She graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in education and specialization in reading. She is in her 11th year teaching at Guardian Angel. During those years, she has taught second, third and fourth grades.

"The greatest thing about teaching for me is the continuous learning process, not just for my children but for myself," she said. "When I quit looking for new ways to teach old concepts, it will be time to quit teaching."