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Reminder Assistant Editor EAST LONGMEADOW Imagine being a plumber for 46 years, or a bank teller, or a newspaper reporter. Would you have the same passion for your job after nearly half a century? Barbara Davis does. She's been a teacher in the East Longmeadow Public Schools for 46 years and this reporter witnessed firsthand how dedicated the woman still is to her job. "Children are a mirror of society," Davis said. "Back then [when I started teaching], kids maybe were a little more creative, making up their own games, but these kids are more worldly they know more." She said that what children need hasn't changed, however. "They need love and encouragement and someone they can trust. I'm not just a teacher. I'm a psychiatrist, a lawyer, a mom." Davis is ready to take off all those hats, though. At the end of this school year, she'll be retiring after an illustrious career in elementary education from Mapleshade School. A graduate of Classical High School in Springfield and Westfield State College, Davis was hired as a second grade teacher at Pleasant View School (now the Pleasant View Senior Center) in 1962 and she said she was hired on the spot. "There weren't many options for women back then," she stated. "I could have been a secretary, a teacher or a housewife. I really like children and I knew I wanted to work with them." On the morning of May 29, Davis and her class reviewed a Mexican folk tale they had read. Separated into five groups, students had to answer a thought-provoking question about the story. As they were working, Davis moved from one desk cluster to another, dropping hints and offering affirmations. A large notepad at the front of the room stated it was "Terrific, Thoughtful Thursday!" and Davis brought out both of those qualities in her students during the presentations of their answers. The children were enthusiastic and very willing to share their thoughts when called upon. Davis engaged them in conversations and in the end, her class discovered on their own the two themes of the story they had read. "The most rewarding thing about teaching is watching students when their reading or their math skills just come together," Davis noted. "It just clicks. I love knowing I make a difference and seeing the kids progress academically." After 46 years, however, Davis said it's time for a new perspective. "I'm getting kind of tired waking up at 5 every morning too," she joked. Although she's retiring from the school, she said she isn't yet retiring from her church, where she serves as the Sunday School superintendent. She's also a member of the Forest Park Civic Association. "I'm still willing to be a sub," she stated, "but I told the office not to call me on a Monday or a Friday." She added that she might be interested in coming in each day just to help out with lunch duty. "It's been great teaching in East Longmeadow," Davis said. "I never thought I'd be here this long," she added with a smile. | ||||||
