TEACHER'S CORNER: PARENTS TAUGHT WILSON TO RESPECT TEACHERS

Jane Wilson is in her ninth year of teaching with some of the very teachers who sparked her interest in the profession.

Wilson is a first-grade teacher at St. Mary's Cathedral Grade School in Cape Girardeau. She is a graduate of St. Mary's school and has been a lifelong member of St. Mary's Cathedral.

She said her parents gave her a respect for teachers and their authority at a young age. "I knew that when I was at school, my teachers were in charge," she said. "My parents did not question their judgment. As I grew older, I didn't always agree with my teachers, and if my parents disagreed, they never let me know."

Wilson said she likes to keep school interesting to her first-graders by using a number of different learning tools. For example, she said she uses cooking to teach reading lessons and also to teach values like sharing and respecting others. She also gives each of her students the opportunity to be "Student of the Week," which she said helps build self-esteem.

"The student of the week is featured on a bulletin board using photos brought from home," she said. "The bulletin board also contains information about the student -- birthday, favorite book, favorite food, what he or she likes most about the school, a person he or she admires, and something the student does well. It gives each student a chance to be important and feel special."

One of the privileges of teaching at the school you graduated from is the built-in support system, Wilson said. She said she has worked with former classmates and teachers, and everyone at her school is always there to provide support after the death of a loved one or to help celebrate the birth of a new baby.

Wilson said she enjoys teaching first-graders because they progress very quickly. She said the children are also very loving and enthusiastic.

"You get such a good feeling when a child says, 'That was really fun, thanks for letting us do that!'" Wilson said, "or when a child tells you she does not like when Fridays come because it means she won't get to see you the next day. They really have a way of warming your heart."