TEACHER'S CORNER: THIRD-GRADE TEACHER USES SENSE OF HUMOR IN CLASSROOM

Nancy Leigh Thompson once pretended to faint from surprise when a chatterbox in her third-grade class at May Greene Elementary School was quiet.

Thompson lay on the floor quiet and still for several minutes before she and the students began to giggle.

A sense of humor and a variety of activities mark Thompson's teaching style. She said students might even describe her as a little crazy, but that's fine with her.

"When you can't laugh about something that happened, you can get very discouraged," she said.

While the students got a laugh from her fainting spell, Thompson used the episode to teach another lesson because students didn't check on her health immediately.

"Needless to say, even though this was a joke, we talked about emergencies and getting help in the future," she said.

This is Thompson's first year teaching at May Greene. She taught physical education at Advance Elementary, was a certified aide for a child with cerebral palsy, was a homebound instructor for a child recovering for spinal meningitis and was a substitute teacher for two years.

Students must know the teacher cares about them before they learn, she said.

"The most gratifying part of my work is knowing I am helping my students," Thompson said. "I hope I make a positive impact in all of their lives."

Thompson is student council adviser and serves on the honor society committee at school. She is a member of Missouri State Teachers Association and Cape Girardeau's Community Teachers Association.

"I will always treasure the memories of this year," Thompson said. But one memory sticks out.

A student moved and no one had an opportunity to say goodbye.

"It truly broke my heart," she said. "I cried and the other students cried. It was as if we lost part of our family."

The good news is that the student soon moved back and returned to Thompson's classroom.

Thompson dreads the end of the school year when she will say goodbye to all her students.

Working with children, Thompson said, makes her feel special and she tried to do the same for her students.

"We have birthday parties and when someone is having a rough time we change the day by talking," she said. "Occasionally I have taken a student out for pizza or ice cream just so they can have a special time and treat for themselves."