TEACHER'S CORNER: STUDENTS SEE, TOUCH AND FEEL LEARNING

After taking time out to help put her husband through college and raise four children, Rhonda Parenteau decided to pursue her own career as a teacher. She graduated with honors from Southeast Missouri State in May of 1990 and has been teaching full-day kindergarten at St. Mary's Cathedral School ever since.

Parenteau's decision to become a teacher was based on one reason: "I love working with children," she said.

"They are fun to be with and I enjoy seeing their eyes light up when they know `they got it.' I tend to be a very flexible person, with a lot of patience and persistence, which are all vital to being a good teacher."

Parenteau calls her teaching method the AVK way: "Auditory learning involves hearing, visual involves seeing it either on the black board, in a book or actually seeing it in the environment, and kinesthetic involves experiencing it for real."

She explains: "When we are learning new letter sounds, we discuss how our lips are shaped, where our tongue is, and we watch each other repeat words with that beginning letter sound. Words are written on the board in colored chalk. We play games like covering our eyes and listening for same/different letter sounds so they learn to recognize by ear as well as sight. Then the children go to the board to practice writing the letter in the color chalk they prefer. After making sure they can make the letter correctly, it's back to the drawing table where they actually work on the activities. Praise and positive reinforcement are always important, especially for kindergartners."

In her classroom, Parenteau has 32 separate areas set up as learning centers where children can go when they finish their individual classroom work. They may choose centers focusing on math, art, language development, science or social studies.

The areas are designed to challenge students academically and to enhance their social/emotional skills as well. The learning centers are changed often to keep interest and motivation high.

Parenteau's classes include a lot of music, experiments, and the always popular "show and tell."

For 25 years, she has been married to Wayne Parenteau, who works at Procter and Gamble. Their oldest daughter, Aimee, is a senior at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale; Ryan, 18, is a freshman at Southeast; Gina, 16, is a junior at Jackson High School; and Tara, 13, is an eighth grader at the R.O. Hawkins Junior High.

The family resides in Jackson and are members of Immaculate Conception Church. Parenteau has been involved in 4-H for 13 years, a Sunday School teacher 20 years, serves on the Cape County 4-H Council, the Jackson PTO, and has been active in many of her children's activities over the years from sports and music to serving as room mother.

Her hobbies include reading, preparing Asian food, and creating handmade craft items.

Parenteau loves her job at St. Mary's. "Both our new principal, Mrs. Carol Strattman, and St. Mary's School Board, are very sensitive to the needs of the teachers. There is a closeness among the faculty and staff that is warm, sincere and extremely supporting. There is also the quality of respect that I see from the students as well. And I have found the parents of the school children to be both helpful and encouraging in many ways."

She believes the decision this year to begin full-day kindergarten has improved the quality of education at the school.

"I feel blessed that I am able to teach at St. Mary's and work with some of God's `littlest angels,'" said Parenteau.