TEACHER'S CORNER: MEET DEBBIE EICH, WHO TEACHES SECOND GRADE AT ST. VINCENT DE PAUL IN CAPE

"I always wanted to be a teacher," says Debbie Eich, "as long as I can remember."

Eich teaches second grade at St. Vincent de Paul Grade School in Cape Girardeau. She is in her fourth year at St. Vincent's.

Before that, she taught pre-school in Cape Girardeau for six years and for one year in Hanau, Germany to American children.

She is a graduate of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn.

Eich finds that the greatest challenge in education today "is to effectively motivate students to be able to think on their own, and to achieve their true potential.

"This is particularly challenging in today's environment of busy family lifestyles, television and numerous other diversions for children," she said.

"The most gratifying part of my job is seeing children develop to become independent or to become `their own person': watching them grow, make decisions and watching the excitement they show with each new task they master."

Eich remembers working with a child who was struggling with learning math.

"She wrote me a letter telling me that now she understood what we were learning," Eich said.

"She was discovering that she didn't hate math, but was beginning to enjoy it."

Eich and her husband, Frank, have two children; Jill and Robby.

Her hobbies include sewing, counted cross stitch, walking, swimming, tennis and reading.