Veteran teacher learned skills at an early age

Warren County Middle School teacher Eileen Southard has been teaching for quite some time now. She taught sixth grade at the old Northside School, ninth grade at the former Junior High for five years, and has been teaching seventh grade ever since – a total of 28 years.

“Teaching ninth grade was all right,” she says. “But when I went back to teaching the younger kids, I felt like I’d died and gone to heaven.”

She always wanted to be a teacher and never considered anything else. Even in third grade, she was already being called upon to help out the other students in her class. “My teacher would see I knew the material well, and ask me to help the rest of the kids,” she remembers.

After graduating from MTSU, Southard began her career teaching social studies, but it was in math that this history major found her calling.

“After I had my son, Eddie, I was ready for a change,” she said. “I taught math and algebra when I had the ninth-graders, and now I teach three classes of math, one class of pre-algebra, and one reading class. It’s great.”

Southard is certified in grades 1-9, and says she has yet to tire of the job. Simply teaching and being with the kids all day makes it worthwhile, but she could do without the paperwork.

She admits, “There is always so much of it to do. We have more special ed students than ever before, so we have a lot to deal with and it’s ever changing. But, that’s all part of it.”

Donna Gonder’s two sons, Morgan, a student in Southard’s class, and Cameron, a junior and a previous student of Southard’s, both have nothing but respect for the WCMS teacher. Cameron even recommended Morgan take Southard’s class because he felt she had done a very good job teaching him the basics. Donna says Mrs. Southard has fun with the kids, and although she can be tough discipline wise, she has a great sense of humor and is a big “cut up,” which makes the kids love her all the more.

“You have to start tough,” admits Southard. “You can’t go easy on them at first and then get tough. That and staying consistent are the most important. I think the state expects more from students in each grade level than they once did, but we, the teachers, don’t necessarily. We just want them to learn.”

Southard and her husband, Ron, have two boys of their own – Eddie, 22, and Andy, 19. When she’s not busy with her class and her family, she enjoys passing the time reading, growing flowers, sewing and cooking. Sounds like she sure has things cooking in the classroom.