Good morning Panther Nation!
I shouldn’t talk about my personal life on the school’s website, but how am I supposed to refrain from that, when the school has been my life for the last the thirty years? I can prove it! We have three kids and only one of them has, at this point chosen public education as a vocation. The other two have not. I asked my son, Prent why? He said “I grew up, literally in the building, you and mom were always there and always talking about school and the kids at school even when you were home.” You see, he went to college and had his mind set on being a teacher. His junior year, he had to do some practicum hours in a really big school. He sat in the back and witnessed several kids disrespect a teacher by using foul language and not engaging in the education they were supposed to be. That sole experience, turned him against spending his vocational life as a public education servant. I asked him, “in the 14 years of school in Mound City, have you ever witnessed a student treat a teacher like that? His response was no, but it could happen if I get a job in a place like where I did my practicum hours. Mind you, that was five years ago. Now, he is a social worker for the great State of Missouri. He has seen the absolute worst in mankind, he is good at his job. He is in the infant division due to a promotion a few months back. The division created that job for him. He deals with babies who are born addicted. He wanted this job to be more help as he saw the need. I am proud to say that he is saving money to take a test and become a public school teacher through the ABCTE program, again he saw a need to help. This program lets people with a four-year degree, study and take a really difficult test and become a teacher. Second kid, Kendey will be teaching business in the Maryville R-2 School District next year. The third kid, Joeigh will be a senior next year at NWMSU. She has been working with Easterseals Midwest as a Parent Educator for the last four months. She says that she won’t be a teacher in the real sense of the word. But…that is what she is doing now at least part time. I conclude that, it turns out our kids are on their way to be teachers! Not that everybody should, it is a calling just like becoming a doctor, banker, plumber, electrician, farmer, pharmacist, grocer, mechanic, welder, nurse, cook, waitress etc… you name the job. No job (sorry if I left your profession out) in my opinion is more important that the other. We all must take pride in what we do in the service of others.
Back to me ranting on my personal life. I actually get to spend two hours in person with Mrs. Eaton today. A two-hour date with my girlfriend in the Nebraska Medicine Cardiac ICU in Omaha. I couldn’t have planned a better date if I tried!
Stay healthy!