Mary T. Clark:  

s. I then taught combination classes of grades three and four at Faulkner Street School in New Smyrna Beach, which, incidentally, my mother attended beginning in 1919. After that, I taught kindergarten at Edgewater and Osteen Elementaries. I decided to try an "out-of-classroom" experience and became a primary resource teacher for a year. I had also started my masters in administration and supervision. I missed the classroom and went back to kindergarten at Read-Pattillo Elementary. I was going to stay there, when I was asked if I would like to be an asst. principal at Orange City Elementary, working with a high school classmate, Jerry Gill, who was the principal. Why not? I started at OCS in August of 1990 and became principal in 1996. I loved being able to give teachers what they needed. My first love was still the classroom, and, while I know I was a "natural" teacher, I had to work at being an administrator. Still, I loved it and found it very difficult to make the decision to take an early retirement in 1999 to care for my father. When push came to shove, there seemed to be but one choice, and I do not regret it. I still miss "my" teachers and always will. How fortunate I was to have such experiences! My classes ranged from seven to thirty-nine students, and, for many years, they averaged above thirty. Now I feel that I've "been there, done that" successfully and am enjoying different choices. I renewed my teaching certificate for five more years and took a watercolor class where I placed first in the watercolor division of the DBCC art show! I hold educational certifications in early childhood, elementary education, gifted education, English as a Second Language, administration and supervision and School Principal. I am proud of them because of the hard work I put forth to achieve them. I wasn't the best student, and I never was in love with school, but I wanted to make school a place where children wanted to learn.