TEACHER'S CORNER: MEET MILDRED REYNOLDS, WHO TEACHES SECOND GRADE IN DELTA SCHOOL DISTRICT

DELTA -- Mildred L. Reynolds says she wanted to become a teacher since she was a little girl.

She teaches second grade at Delta R-5 Elementary School, but her career began 40 years ago near Gordonville.

"I began teaching at the Needmore School," Reynolds said. "At first I was nervous, but at the end of that year I was excited about my new career.

"In this rural school, I had all eight grades. I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. We were like one big happy family."

She taught there until the school was closed due to reorganization.

"Next, I accepted a position at my home school in Whitewater," Reynolds said. "In two years, it became a part of the Delta R-5 District. I came to this building where I am still teaching second grade."

Reynolds received her bachelor of science and master of arts degrees in elementary education from Southeast Missouri State University.

"In teaching, you have the opportunity to reach out and touch another person's life," Reynolds said.

"The moments when you see a student's face light up and hear him or her exclaim, `Oh! Now I get it!' are indeed precious ones. We primary teachers get an abundance of hugs and hand-made cards assuring us of being loved and the `best teacher in the whole wide world.'

"As long as I continue in the teaching profession, I hope these `warm fuzzies' keep coming. They are a vital part of my `scrapbook of memories.'"

Reynolds says that her experiences prove that teaching offers rewards that no other profession can top.

"I treasure the times former students drop by just to say `hi' and to reminisce."

Each child deserves a good education, Reynolds said.

"I want to help them attain it. Our world is changing so quickly, and children have so much to learn in order to just survive.

"I love feeling like I am helping my students learn the skills needed for survival in this ever-changing world."

Reynolds enjoys reading and traveling in her spare time. She has served as pianist at the Whitewater United Methodist Church for 45 years.

She lives near Whitewater with her husband, Gary. They have two children; Carla Williams of Maryland Heights and Scott Reynolds of Arnold. They have a granddaughter, Crystal Williams.