TEACHER'S CORNER: SHELTON ANSWERS TEACHING CALL

First-grade teacher Dena Shelton chose teaching as a profession in answer to a call to minister to children. Shelton, in her third year of teaching at Cape Christian School, said she wanted the chance to help students move forward academically and religiously. She enjoys working in a Christian setting where she and the students can pray together for each other and their concerns and where they can study the Bible and learn to apply it to their everyday lives.

"My goal is to educate my students' minds while also touching their hearts," said the mother of two. "Some of my greatest lessons in faith have been learned from these young children."

Shelton said her best "teacher story" happened last year. In years past, many first-graders would not have had much knowledge of courts, trials or juries, she said, but more and more often it seems that even very young children are familiar with these terms. She found this out first-hand when she was called to serve jury duty and tried to explain to her class why they would be having a substitute teacher for a few days.

"I answered what seemed like a million questions and thought everyone was well-informed and ready for a substitute teacher," she said. "When I got home from school that afternoon there was a message on my answering machine saying that my case had been canceled and I'd be contacted soon about when to report for duty."

The next morning Shelton said a student's mom seemed surprised to see her in the classroom. She said she explained what had happened, but the mother said she didn't know Shelton was to be a juror.

"That's when her daughter interrupted us saying: 'Well, I forgot the part about being a juror. I just told my mom and dad that my teacher had to go to court, but don't worry -- she didn't do no crime,'" she said, laughing.

Shelton and her family are all book lovers. They are especially fond of the growing collection of nearly 500 children's books they own, she said.

"I love sharing these stories with my class," she said. "These books, as well as songs and Bible verses, are the things students report loving the best about first grade."