TEACHER'S CORNER: SCOTT CITY TEACHER FINDS MANY CHANGES

SCOTT CITY -- In 15 years of teaching business education, Martha Nothdurft has changed virtually everything she teaches.

Nothdurft teaches business education for students in grades 9-12 at Scott City High School.

In fact, she said, while the courses technically stay the same from year to year, something always changes.

"I started teaching on manual typewriters in 1977," she said. "Today we have two computer labs.

"I became interested in business-related occupations while I was in college," she said.

Nothdurft had worked as a part-time secretary during high school and college. But education was also important to her.

"In fact, two of my three sisters and my sister-in-law also teach. My mother-in-law suggested that I combine my interest in business with a degree in education. It was excellent advice."

Nothdurft said she's been pleased with her decision to teach business.

"When you really work hard with a student, and he or she finally understands, you think maybe you've finally done something right," she said. "Also, hearing from past graduates is wonderful. Last week a young lady who graduated in 1980 called to wish me happy new year and happy birthday. It was great."

Teaching also brings some other enjoyable moments.

"Several years ago we had a senior prank day," Nothdurft recalled. "When I got to my classroom, they had rearranged everything. The typewriters were under the desks and the few chairs left in the room were tied to the rafters. It took quite a while to get things back in order."

Nothdurft said the trickiest thing about her teaching job is the fact that her family lives in another school district. In fact, she is president of the Delta R-5 Board of Education.

"I may miss an activity at one school because I'm attending something at the other," she said. "What's worse is to go to a ball game between the two schools; you've got to cheer for everybody because they're all your kids."

She is married to Kim Nothdurft and lives in Delta. She has two children, Salli Jo, 14, and Dustin, 11.

A graduate of Jackson High School, she was graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a master's degree and a bachelor's degree in business education.

She is also a lifelong member of Zion United Methodist Church in Gordonville, where she is a Sunday school teacher.