TEACHER'S CORNER: TEACHER AIMS TO MAKE STUDENTS GOOD READERS

Teaching second grade brings many rewards, said Jennifer Byrum, some more tangible than others. Last year, Byrum's family increased by one thanks to one of her students.

The student knew that Byrum loved cats and had one pet cat. "When his mama cat gave birth to a litter of new kittens, he decided that one of them should be mine," Byrum said.

The youngster brought all the kittens to class for show-and-tell, and the gray and white kitten found a new home with Byrum.

Byrum is in her fourth year of teaching second grade at Nell Holcomb School.

"I want my second-grade students to become the best readers and writers possible within their abilities," she said. She uses several techniques to encourage writing, including daily writing journals.

"Each morning, I put a journal sentence starter on the chalkboard," Byrum said. "Each student is asked to complete at least four sentences or more in his or her journal using the sentence starter topics."

Another technique she has found effective is book-making. "In this process, the students make a book on a particular theme or season," she explained. "The purpose behind this is to get them to expand their vocabulary, learn proper punctuation, recognize sentence structure and parts, and develop their creativity."

Byrum decided to become a teacher early in life and spent time working as a baby sitter and in day-care centers. She graduated cum laude from Southeast Missouri State University with a degree in early childhood education. She is working on a master's degree in teaching.

Her hobbies include playing the piano, exercising, cross stitching, making ornamental wreaths and flower gardening. She and her husband, Bart, have a dog and two cats.

"I see myself as a building block for my students as they make their way to maturity," Byrum said. "Being a building block gives me the opportunity to develop my students' skills to their full potential and expand their knowledge to a high degree of mastery. When I see these good results at the end of the school year, it's a great feeling for me."