TEACHER'S CORNER: WOODLAND TEACHER PROMOTES LEARNING WITH HANDS, MINDS

MARBLE HILL -- In Jennings Wilkinson's industrial arts courses, students work with their hands and minds at the same time. The same is true on the basketball court, said the Woodland High School coach.

"The structure in a shop setting or on the basketball floor is such that students are moving around and performing various physical activities all the time," Wilkinson said. "I think this tends to keep students' attention spans a little longer."

Wilkinson also encourages his students to help each other. "If you can get a student to understand something well enough to explain it to another student correctly, then you know that student has a good understanding of the subject matter."

Wilkinson has been teaching and coaching for 16 years. "I realize that each year has been unique in its own way," he said. "Maybe this is why I can still get excited about each school year. You know that you will be working with a completely new set of personalities."

Wilkinson said his students seem to grow up and graduate too quickly. "I really enjoy it when a former student or player comes back a few years after graduating and we sit down and talk about their years in school and what they are doing with their lives at the present time."

He earned a bachelor's degree in secondary education from Southeast Missouri State University. His wife, Barbara, teaches fifth grade at Woodland.

Wilkinson enjoys hunting, playing softball and traveling. He attends Glen Allen United Methodist Church.

"I chose teaching because I enjoy working with young people, seeing them progress and the expression on their faces when they are able to accomplish something or perform a task that they didn't think they could do," he said.

After 16 years, Wilkinson knows he is in the right profession. "If I were starting college all over again, I would without hesitation choose the same field. It has been memorable and enjoyable."