TEACHER'S CORNER: MATH LESSONS HELP STUDENTS LEARN TO SERO IN ON HOLIDAYS

Counting down to a holiday is part of the routine in Karen Seiler's kindergarten class.

Seiler, who has been teaching for 10 years at Kelly Elementary School in Benton, wears a smock covered with "O's" on every class holiday -- Zero Day.

"You realize it's OK to get excited about holidays -- not just Christmas and Easter, but even Johnny Appleseed and Mickey Mouse's birthday," Seiler said.

As part of the school's math curriculum, kindergarten pupils learn to count. On the 10th day of the month, Seiler's class celebrates "Zero Day" with a visit from "Zero, the Hero," who is also the school principal.

On that day, Seiler wears the "O" smock, which her mother made, and each pupil receives a treat in the shape of a zero.

"The class is definitely learning to look forward to zero days," she said.

Of course, math isn't the only thing Seiler does in her classroom.

"Being a kindergarten teacher means you have to be part mother, nurse and counselor," she said.

She once had to stop teaching to organize a search for a girl's stick-on earring.

"I knew there wouldn't be much learning taking place until we solved her problem," Seiler said. "Pooling our search efforts, we found the earring in a crayon box, the lesson went on smoothly and the child was all smiles."

Being around children, lets Seiler see the world through their eyes.

"It's the little things that you do that end up being important," Seiler said. "Teaching kindergarten can be a humbling experience."

However, humbling as it may be, Seiler tries to make learning enjoyable for her pupils.

"In my classroom I hope to provide a safe and loving environment to help children realize that learning is fun," she said. "I want them to have a positive first experience with school."

Seiler chose to be a teacher because she enjoyed being around children.

"I had always been the `teacher' when playing school as a child with my younger brother and sister," she said. So deciding on a career in education was a natural choice.

"I never really wanted to be anything else," Seiler said. "Plus, I had great role models -- teachers in whose footsteps I wanted to follow."

Seiler has been teaching kindergarten at Kelly Elementary for the last five years. She was the speech pathologist during her first five years at the school.

Seiler also took some time off to raise her own children, Chad, 16, Jarett, 14, and Emily, 10. She and her husband, Bill, own a farm near Benton.

Seiler received her bachelor's and master's degrees in speech pathology and elementary education at Southeast Missouri State University.

She is a member of the Missouri State Teachers Association, the Community Teachers Association and St. Denis Catholic Church, where she is the church organist.