Donna Wood:
CLASS OF 1968
Aurora High SchoolClass of 1968
Aurora, MO
Carthage High SchoolClass of 9999
Carthage, MO
Missouri Southern State CollegeClass of 1996
Joplin, MO
Franklin Elementary SchoolClass of 1962
Aurora, MO
Marionville High SchoolClass of 1945
Marionville, MO
Donna's Story
Life
Life is always interesting for me. I have worked for the Carthage R-9 Schools for the past 12 years, 3 as a substitute teacher, and then 8 at the alternative school, 2 as a secretary, and then six as a computer technician. I then worked at an Elementary School, as a computer lab aide, and after 3 years I had enough of the crowd control, which I am not good at that. The first year after my retirement began with me working part-time, first as an aide to a special needs student, then homebound teacher for a student until she could go back to school and once again substituting, while retiring the first of April of 2010. I will continue working part-time, substituting, but am so enjoying my retirement. I have 1 kid still at home, and he went to work for FEMA after the Joplin tornadoes now works with special need clients. My older two are living in other states, both married, and my third lives here in Carthage. I became a grandma when Rick married his wife, to Jamie and then again when Aaron Mason was born the summer of 2007. I have lived in Carthage for 30+ years, and love it. I would love to hear from classmates of any classes from the years I attended.
School
I was a little slow to begin college, but finally in 1974 I started school at MSSC (now MSSU) in Joplin. I went one semester, then went to work, taking one class while working. I continued to go to school off and on, and in 1980 decided the path I had chosen to follow wasn't one I really wanted to pursue. I then chose to study computers, and continued to pick up one class at a time, at nights from time to time. Then in 1988, I had my last child, and in 1989 decided to quit work to stay home. At that time I made a commitment to myself to finally finish what I had started in 1974. I finished up my Associate of Science degree in CIS in 1996. I decided not to go into programming, but to look for something that would use my computer skills, and ended up in education, working in the Carthage School District. I worked for 3 years in a co...Expand for more
mputer lab, which first seemed like the dream job, teaching the kids safety in using the internet, and using the internet as a learning tool, to use learning games to entice them to learn and not realize they were learning. Then the education direction changed, and it was MAP test practice all year, and I realized that was not what I wanted to do. I am now retired from the school district, which affords me time off, and still lets me work up to half time substituting. I have found that I love working with the high school kids. I find myself working less and less, enjoying having time to spend with my friends.
Workplace
I started in the school system 23 years ago as a substitute teacher (something I never thought I could or would do) and loved it. It has been wonderful having most of my summers off and being available after school for my own kids. I really enjoyed substituting at the Junior High, (most subs don't) and saw so many of the kids in trouble, sitting in the halls, almost daily. When they started the Alternative School in 1998, I jumped at the opportunity to be the part-time secretary. I had worked my way to becoming the computer tech at the alternative school. I then went to an elementary school as a computer tech for 3 years in what started out as a dream job, teaching the children the safety while on the internet, but then the direction shifted in what turned out to be MAP test taking skills for the whole year. At that point I decided that was not what I wanted to do any longer. I am back to substituting the past years, and have worked with a special needs grade school student the first part of the year, then home-bound for a high school student until she was able to go back to graduate. I have found that the students at the high school are so much more mature than they were when I first began substituting, and very respectful. I am now retired as of April 1s, and am able to work up to half time, and enjoying the time I have available to catch up with classmates, and just enjoy life.
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