Joyce Hood is currently teaching 1st grade at Jeffries Elementary and she will be retiring after this school year. She has taught at several schools and has even had the opportunity to teach the same group of students more than once. Learn about her time with SPS below and advice that she wants to share with educators.
- What is your role in Springfield Public Schools?
- I was a classroom teacher for Portland, Bowerman and Jeffries Elementary. I taught first, third, and fourth grade as well as Title 1 upper literacy reading.
- How many years have you been with the district?
- 20 years
- What is one of your favorite memories throughout your time with SPS?
- I had a chance to loop with two of my classes. One third grade class had many students from the class I had previously taught in first grade at Jeffries. I looped to fourth with that group and actually had several students three different times. Once for first, then third and finally fourth. My final loop year was year before last. After two years, sending them on to fifth grade was so hard.
- What is something you will miss about SPS?
- I will miss the students. Many are forever etched in my heart. Our days may have had a few struggles, a few tears, but more often lots of smiles and laughs. There is nothing like have older students pop in at Meet-the-teacher or Open House and say hello and grab a hug. Knowing that I’ve made that lasting impression on them is priceless. Little do they know they had also done the same for me. Seeing them out in the community, often 15 years later, just amazes me that I still know who they are and they still recognize me.
- What advice would you like to share with those who are not retiring this year?
- Be prepared to change, constantly. Education has its ebb and flow and if you aren’t willing to embrace the new or the best practice of now you will always be unhappy. Very few professions give a chance for a yearly do-over like teaching does. What doesn’t work one year…change it to something else that may work the next. Take that opportunity each year to reinvent yourself. Enjoy every moment and keep a journal of all those funny things that happen on the journey. They are priceless! Years later you won’t remember them all.