Parkwood Elementary TOTY: Caring in the classroom

Once a teacher, always a teacher, says Parkwood Elementary School teacher Shirley Rumph.

Originally from Perry, Rumph says this is her 10th year teaching at Parkwood Elementary but her 30th year teaching overall. She taught in Houston County for 25 years and in Lamar County for five years. She’s taught all subjects for grades 1-4 and became the EIP (early intervention program) reading teacher after four years teaching at Parkwood Elementary, working with kindergarten through fifth grade students. Out of all of the subjects she has taught, Rumph says reading is the one that she loves.

She received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Fort Valley State University and her master’s degree from Columbus State University with a specialist in leadership.

Rumph said the administration at Parkwood Elementary is supportive and there for their employees when they need them. To be chosen as Teacher of the Year, she says it’s a great honor and gratifying to know that “your peers respect you and think that highly of you.”

“All teachers do a great job,” Rumph said. “We’re all Teachers of the Year because we’re here for the students.”

Why teaching?

“It was something that I just knew I wanted to do. I want to be there for them and I can see that there is a great need for what we do. The main reason is because I love children and I think that I can help them be successful.”

What brought you into the field?

“When I decided to go to college, I looked at all of the options out there and it seemed like education was what I was most interested in. That would give me the opportunity to do what I love — work with students.”

Any inspiration from past teachers?

“I admired the way my seventh grade teacher interacted with students. She was a loving, caring person. She wasn’t just there to teach you, she cared about you as a student and she showed it. That’s the same kind of feeling that I want my students to have. I think it’s important for students to know that you care about them.”

Best part of teaching?

“The best part of teaching is interacting with the students, leading them and showing them the right path. We have other parts of teaching, but if I could just work with the students, that would be the best part for me. It’s also gratifying to interact with colleagues; you can collaborate and get ideas from each other.”

What is it about teaching that you like the most?

“The part of teaching that I like the most is when I’m trying to teach a concept and I see the light bulb come on and I know that they have finally got it. When I’m teaching, I try to reach all of the students, but sometimes you might have to go back and re-teach to a few of them. When you do that and you finally see the students who were struggling finally get it, that is the best part.”

Most challenging part of teaching?

“The most challenging part could be discipline and classroom management, trying to get a student to cooperate so you can teach. You have to be patient with the student, talk to him and be firm and hopefully, he’ll come around.”

Anything that makes your job difficult?

“When you have challenging students and you’re trying to get them to settle down and cooperate in the classroom.”

If not teaching, what?

“If not teaching, I think I would be a librarian or work in a bookstore because I love anything to do with books and reading.”

Advice to students:

“I would hope that the students would realize what a big opportunity it is to learn as much as they can and soak up that information so when they go out in the community, they’ll be able to handle all of the challenges that come with it.”

Advice to parents:

“Be very involved with your children. Visit the school, talk to their teachers, know what’s going on at all times in the school, in the community and with your child.”

Home life:

“My husband is Bobby and we have four children, Cedric, Terrence, Jarvis and Chelsea Ybarbo, and several grandchildren. I enjoy reading, writing and traveling.”

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