OXFORD: Third grade teacher Carolyn Sneed, recently started her school day the same way she’s done for the last 33 years-waking up at 6:30 a.m. to start her day of instilling the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic to 13 eight to nine year old students. But when school closes for the summer on May 28, so will Sneed’s teaching career, for she is retiring after teaching 33 years, all with the Oxford Public School District.
“It’s time to retire,” Sneed said. “I still love teaching but I’m going to relax, get caught up on things needing done at home, read, and enjoy my grandkids.”
Sneed, who has taught first, fourth, sixth and third grades at Oxford always wanted to be a teacher. Born and raised in Hugoton, she attended Southwestern College, Winfield, from 1962 to 1966, graduating with a degree in teaching in 1966. The 65 year old has been teaching since was 21, taking only 10 years off to raise a family of three.
“I liked the town of Oxford, it was a good place to raise a family and there was a job opening after I student taught for a first grade teacher, adding the smaller school felt right.”
Like many teachers, the first year was the toughest for Sneed, who was still learning how to plan lessons and control an eager first grade class. She relied heavily on the seasoned staff and over the years has become a mentor for new teachers. Sneed has worked for about five different principals over the years, and has a roomful of resources-none of which she plans to pack.
“I am not taking anything home. Tammy Wagner, (who will move from teaching 6th grade math to a 4th grade teacher next year) plans to sit down with me to go thru things she might want.”
Sneed taught 4th grade for 22 years before moving to the 3rd grade in 2007.
While there have been many challenges and changes in education, the basics of teaching remain largely the same, as she still mixes into her lesson plans traditional flashcards, phonics drills and use of the chalkboard. With testing, greater competition and higher expectations all around Sneed admits she has had to adapt over the years as the pace to reach benchmarks has left little time for “the fun stuff.”
“The lack of time to touch on everything that needs to be taught is what has changed most over the years.” Sneed said. In fact, Sneed confesses too many late nights at school as well as at home grading papers and planning for the next day. And while she thinks children today have more challenges than a generation ago, she still relishes in the ahh..Ha moment, “when I see it is making sense to the student, than I feel successful.”
And she has many stories to tell of her experiences in the classroom like the time while teaching first grade a student spelled ‘six as sex.” Or the tale of a first grader telling her “…mom was chasing dad with the vacuum cleaner.”
Sneed has taught entire families of children and often the children of those students. In all she estimates over 500 students have walked thru her classrooms. Come May 28 the last group of students will say goodbye.
“It will be bittersweet. I am a teary eyed person. I cry every time I read the book “Dear Mr. Henshaw to my class.”
“I will miss the staff and the children.”
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OXFORD: Third grade teacher Carolyn Sneed, recently started her school day the same way she’s done for the last 33 years-waking up at 6:30 a.m. to start her day of instilling the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic to 13 eight to nine year old students. But when school closes for the summer on May 28, so will Sneed’s teaching career, for she is retiring after teaching 33 years, all with the Oxford Public School District.
“It’s time to retire,” Sneed said. “I still love teaching but I’m going to relax, get caught up on things needing done at home, read, and enjoy my grandkids.”
Sneed, who has taught first, fourth, sixth and third grades at Oxford always wanted to be a teacher. Born and raised in Hugoton, she attended Southwestern College, Winfield, from 1962 to 1966, graduating with a degree in teaching in 1966. The 65 year old has been teaching since was 21, taking only 10 years off to raise a family of three.
“I liked the town of Oxford, it was a good place to raise a family and there was a job opening after I student taught for a first grade teacher, adding the smaller school felt right.”
Like many teachers, the first year was the toughest for Sneed, who was still learning how to plan lessons and control an eager first grade class. She relied heavily on the seasoned staff and over the years has become a mentor for new teachers. Sneed has worked for about five different principals over the years, and has a roomful of resources-none of which she plans to pack.
“I am not taking anything home. Tammy Wagner, (who will move from teaching 6th grade math to a 4th grade teacher next year) plans to sit down with me to go thru things she might want.”
Sneed taught 4th grade for 22 years before moving to the 3rd grade in 2007.
While there have been many challenges and changes in education, the basics of teaching remain largely the same, as she still mixes into her lesson plans traditional flashcards, phonics drills and use of the chalkboard. With testing, greater competition and higher expectations all around Sneed admits she has had to adapt over the years as the pace to reach benchmarks has left little time for “the fun stuff.”
“The lack of time to touch on everything that needs to be taught is what has changed most over the years.” Sneed said. In fact, Sneed confesses too many late nights at school as well as at home grading papers and planning for the next day. And while she thinks children today have more challenges than a generation ago, she still relishes in the ahh..Ha moment, “when I see it is making sense to the student, than I feel successful.”
And she has many stories to tell of her experiences in the classroom like the time while teaching first grade a student spelled ‘six as sex.” Or the tale of a first grader telling her “…mom was chasing dad with the vacuum cleaner.”
Sneed has taught entire families of children and often the children of those students. In all she estimates over 500 students have walked thru her classrooms. Come May 28 the last group of students will say goodbye.
“It will be bittersweet. I am a teary eyed person. I cry every time I read the book “Dear Mr. Henshaw to my class.”
“I will miss the staff and the children.”
