TEACHER'S CORNER: TEACHER HOPE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN STUDENTS' LIVES

Jackson schoolteacher Pat McClard knows that teaching is learning. She thinks that even as you give students new information, they are giving you new experiences in patience, tolerance and humility.

"I hope I have made a positive difference in the lives of some of the children I have taught," said the fourth-grade teacher. ""I have certainly learned from them."

McClard, who has lived in Jackson all her life, is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. She went to college year-round for three years while playing cabbie, troop leader, den mother and coach for her two children, Terri and Rick.

She has worked in Jackson for all but one of her 25 years of teaching. Teaching is great because it keeps you young at heart and in mind, she said. The look on a child's face when he comprehends something is another good reason to teach.

"There is always gratification in seeing a look on the face of a student that says 'I understand,'" she said. "They are so proud and happy that they just shine."

McClard tries to make children feel comfortable so they are confident during new learning experiences. She said that students who are comfortable enjoy learning better. Recently, McClard ran into a former student who reinforced these beliefs for her.

"I met a young lady in a department store who asked did I remember having French Day when we studied Missouri history," she said. "We had read about the early settlers of the state, many of whom were from France. We churned butter, made bread, prepared other foods, spun yarn and made patch pillows and miniature log cabins. The young lady told me she still remembered her special French name and all of the food they had eaten."

For McClard, going to work is like going to see family and friends. "The people I work with are special to me," she said. "We are good friends both at school and away."

McClard said a friend once gave her advice that she often thinks about while at work. "A friend of mine once told me to live every day and make it count, because this is the real thing, not a dress rehearsal," she said. "I feel I have the privilege of doing this every day as I teach the children who are the future of our country."