Terry Spencer, 2nd-grade teacher at Overholser Elementary, knew when she was a sophomore in high school that becoming a teacher was in her future. After 15 years of teaching, she takes a few moments to share some of her experiences and rewards in the teaching profession.

I have always loved school. School was and is a very positive part of my life. In my high school sophomore civics class we completed interest inventories to receive information from various colleges. I remember a classmate turning to me and saying, "If you put education down I am going to slap you. Teacher’s don’t make any money." I had already marked education and I haven’t regretted it since.

My favorite part of teaching is developing relationships with the students in and out of the classroom. It is fun to interact with the students on their turf, doing what they like to do. I have gained some of my most profound insights visiting with kids on the softball field or in the cafeteria.

One of the most important things that contributes to a child’s success in school is their relationship with their teacher and other school personnel. They have to know you genuinely care about them and their success before they will begin to produce.

I also think that students have to see the value in education. What is getting a good education going to do for me? If what is happening in the classroom is not relevant to their lives outside of school many kids think," What’s the point?"

Parents who value education have children who value education. Parents are their child’s best advocate. They need to be involved in their child’s life. I tell parents, spend time talking and listening to what your kids are saying. Know your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Share your insights with your child’s teacher. Develop an open line of communication between home and school. Ask questions. Be tenacious. If there is something you don’t understand or your child needs help with don’t stop until your questions or problems have been resolved.

I once had a fifth grade student who didn’t really care to read. It is my desire to instill in my students a love for reading, and to do this I share a variety of literature with the students in my class. That year I ventured outside of my normal realm of oral read alouds and read Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville. The lights went on for this student, and he was on fire for books. No one had ever read such a novel to him before. I received an e-mail from him several years later when he was a freshman in college thanking me for opening the door to reading for him. To this day when I see his mother in the community she thanks me. Who would have thought one book could make such a difference?

This past summer I had the opportunity to attend a seminar about Professional Learning Communities (PLC) with about 100 other Putnam City teachers. A Professional Learning Community is group of teachers committed to working together to continually evaluate "best practices" for reaching students. With PLCs there is a paradigm shift from emphasizing what teachers teach to emphasizing what students are learning. Teachers working as a part of a PLC are constantly analyzing where they have been and where they are going. It is their purpose to achieve high levels of learning for all students.

I don’t think you will find a finer group of teachers in the state of Oklahoma than you will at Putnam City. The teachers I have worked with in this district are committed to doing what is best for kids. They are not afraid to think outside of the box when meeting the needs of the students.

I look forward every year to building relationships with the students in my classroom and thinking outside of the box to meet their instructional needs. I am excited about building professional learning communities and doing what is best for kids.