Thank you Mrs. Jones!!
by Jennifer Ferguson
April 27, 2010
Bev Jones was at a turning point in her life. She was in her early twenties and had just graduated from McKendree College with a B.S. in Education. She had a four-year old boy and a newborn son at home, and was happy substitute teaching at Central Elementary School when she could. The superintendent at the time then asked Mrs. Jones to apply for the openings available as either a third or fourth grade teacher. But before she knew it, Mrs. Jones ended up as the new teacher in a classroom with over 40 fifth grade students – something she didn’t exactly anticipate her first year out of college.
“During my first year here, I think I learned as much as the children did,” said Mrs. Jones. “That’s when there was only one class per grade, and by the end of the year, I ended up with 42 children to teach in what seemed like a very small classroom.”
That first year didn’t scare Mrs. Jones away, however. This May will complete her 41st year of teaching at Central Elementary School. For three years, Mrs. Jones taught fifth grade, and for the remainder of her career, she went back and forth between first and second grade. Currently, she teaches second grade.
Throughout her 41-year tenure, Mrs. Jones has seen a lot of changes in the education system. She said that some of the biggest challenges she has faced are addressing diversity in the classroom, that is, acknowledging and adapting to each student’s learning needs.
“There was a time when you could have a student who couldn’t see or hear or had other special needs, and as the teacher, you had to incorporate each students ability or disability in everything in the classroom,” said Mrs. Jones. “It’s still that way today, but there are other resources to address those concerns,” she continued.
But, something that has kept Mrs. Jones coming back to Central year after year is when she feels that she has truly touched the life of a student. According to her, it can be when she sees a light bulb go off for a student after a difficult lesson, when a student comes back to visit later in life, or when she teaches multiple generations of the same family. “These years at Central have really made me grow into being part of a community,” said Mrs. Jones. “You feel like you are a part of a lot of lives.”
While Mrs. Jones is looking forward to aspects of her retirement, she said that she will really miss seeing the children on a daily basis. “You have to love children to be in this work,” she said. “A piece of advice I could give to teachers is to not make it a job or work. Make it a desire to want to see each child learn and grow.”
According to Principal Dawn Elser, Mrs. Jones is a cornerstone of Central Elementary School and will be missed by all.
“When you think of Central Elementary School, you think of Mrs. Jones,” said Ms. Elser. “She has had an impact on each student she has taught throughout all of her years here.”
For her retirement, Mrs. Jones plans to devote more of her time to volunteerism. She is active in her church and currently acts as the Web site director for the Caring Hearts Program there. She also plans to spend more time with her family, visiting her children and grandchildren in Indianapolis and Boise, Idaho.
Her co-workers, family and friends will honor Mrs. Jones for her years of service at Central Elementary School on May 14 at Rock Springs Nature Center from 5:00-8:00.
Thank you, Mrs. Jones for your loyal years of service in this school district. You are a vital part of this school community and will be missed greatly!
