TEACHER'S CORNER: MEET WANDA STEFFENS, FIRST-GRADE TEACHER AT TRINITY LUTHERAN SCHOOL

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Wanda Steffens finds that her first-grade students are a joy to teach because of their eagerness to learn.

"It is so exciting to see the level of learning from which most of them begin, to the progress that is shown throughout the year," Steffens said.

She said: "There is a great amount of satisfaction in seeing a first-grader being able to read and enjoy library books on their own after completing their regular classroom work. It's a real joy to share in their pride when they accomplish a new skill."

Steffens is in her 11th year of teaching at Trinity Lutheran School in Cape Girardeau. She previously taught for five years at Salem Lutheran School in Farrar.

She attended St. Paul's College in Concordia for two years and received her bachelor-of-science degree in education from Concordia College in Seward, Neb.

Several people helped Steffens to decide on a career in education, including her family and her sister, who was also a teacher.

"I was also influenced by some of my grade-school teachers, special missionary speakers and a certain hymn verse," she said.

"The verse suggested that if you couldn't do really great things in the church, you could lead little children to the Savior's waiting arms. I have the opportunity to do just that as a teacher in a parochial school."

Steffens said that one of the greatest challenges in teaching is to help children to realize their full potential.

"At times it seems like such a struggle for them to learn to think or to reason things on their own," she said.

"I also expect them to work at the best of their ability according to the talents God has given them."

A memorable experience for Steffens occurred at the end of a school day.

"As the class was leaving, one little girl reached up to me for a hug," she said. "As I leaned over, she pulled me down for a big kiss on the cheek. Sometimes the rewards from teaching come when you least expect them."

Steffens lives in Cape Girardeau with her husband, Kenneth Steffens, a sales representative for Case Power and Equipment. They have two children: Jeff, a sophomore at Cape Central High School, and Shelly, who is in the eighth grade at Trinity.

She enjoys swimming, water skiing, horseback riding and gardening. She also likes to attend sports activities and music concerts and programs at Trinity. She is also active in the handbell choir and adult choir at Trinity Lutheran Church.