TEACHER'S CORNER: TEACHER PROMOTES OPPORTUNITY FOR DISCOVERY AMONG STUDENTS

JACKSON -- Language arts teacher Pamela Scott adds variety to her curriculum to pique her students' interest. Scott, who teaches at R.O. Hawkins Junior High School in Jackson, uses numerous strategies, including library scavenger hunts, essay writing and sandwich paragraphs to teach her students principles of grammar and literature.

She said she knows her students are as different as her teaching strategies, so she also creates special activities to help her learn her students' personalities.

"I like to do activities that make learning more interesting," she said. "For example, at the beginning of the year, my students create a life map in which they tell me things about themselves. This activity helps me get to know my students and relate to them a little better."

Scott, a graduate of Perryville High School and Southeast Missouri State University, has taught for six years. She became a teacher because she enjoys working with teen-agers, especially eighth-graders. "Junior high is a difficult time for teen-agers; I like the opportunity to work with them as they discover their likes and dislikes and what makes them truly unique individuals."

When she's not sharing language principles in the classroom, Scott said she enjoys reading, counted cross-stitching, hiking and spending time with her husband, Jeff. She is a member of Hanover Lutheran Church and several professional organizations.