Teacher Spotlight – Educator Never Ceases Learning — Teaching a Natural Fit for Lewisburg’s Young

Anita Young has been with the county school system for 24 years and is presently the librarian at Lewisburg Elementary. She graduated from Horn Lake High School and received her bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State and a master’s in curriculum and instruction from the University of Mississippi. She and her husband live in Nesbit with their three children, Drew, Jamie and Zach.

When did you know you wanted to become a teacher? The funny thing about my becoming a teacher is that I had actually started in the dental school at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. It didn’t take long to realize that I was not meant to be in the dental profession. My sister-in-law had graduated from Mississippi State and she asked if I was destined to be in the teaching profession because I really enjoyed working with children through the education department at Mississippi State.

What do you still hope to accomplish as an educator that you haven’t done yet?

When you teach or are in the teaching profession, you never stop learning. I can’t say that the majority of what we learn or need to learn comes from text books. I have learned the most from the children I teach and the people I work with. If I were to try and assess my career – where it has been and where it is going – I would say that I am very happy with the way things have fallen into place.

What do you like best about your current school? Lewisburg is my third and final teaching destination. My previous teaching assignments included Red Water Day School in Carthage, Miss., Southaven Middle School and Shadow Oaks Elementary. I was extremely fortunate when I was allowed a transfer to Lewisburg. Not only was I able to take my assistant of seven years, Robin, with me, I was able to experience the opening of a new school. That has been an adventure. The administration, teachers and support staff at Lewisburg are what make it such a good school. I enjoy the people I work with because we are a team with one goal in common – the education and well being of our students.

What do you think is the greatest challenge facing teachers today? One of the greatest challenges that educators face today is the never-ending quest to change. Sometimes change is for the better. But it seems that once teachers have a program they are comfortable with and are able to work it to its potential, things are changed. Our profession is under constant change – there are no two children alike and no two situations alike. When you top that with ever-changing curriculum and standards, that puts a lot of pressure on teachers.

What’s the most rewarding moment you’ve had as a teacher? The most rewarding moment I have had as a teacher occurs at 7:50 every morning when the children start coming in. They are so full of life and want to tell you about things that are important to them. I realize that every moment a teacher has with the students is extremely important. We are the profession that teaches all other professions. So, entering the room I have the next generation of doctors, pilots, teachers and construction workers.

What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you as a teacher? One of the funniest things that ever happened to me as a teacher was during my first teaching assignment. I had graduated in December from MSU, and I knew that teaching jobs were going to be hard to come by. I had been offered a job with the Department of the Interior teaching on the Choctaw Indian reservation at Carthage. I was 21 and assuming the responsibility of teaching fifth- through eighth-grade language arts. When my homeroom walked in, I began calling roll, the first child responded by saying “Chop.” After the next few students responded the same way, I thought this was the Choctaw word for “here” so I continued calling out their names. When I called the last name on the roll, the child responded with “timber.” All of the students fell out of their desks. The laughter was hysterical with me right up in the middle of it. I have always felt that when teaching becomes a job, I will need to find another occupation. As it is, I love what I do, and it is the people who surrounded me that help kindle that love. One of my favorite quotes is “Love what you are doing and show it!” by Helen Boehm.

Principals and assistant principals at each school nominate an educator to be featured. The educator exemplifies and promotes qualities that are positive in and out of the classroom.

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“I have always felt that when teaching becomes a job, I will need to find another occupation. As it is, I love what I do, and it is the people who surrounded me that help kindle that love.”

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