As I spotlight teachers in the Greenville ISD, I often ask a series of questions to learn more about their road to teaching, their passions, their family and their heritage. When asked why she wanted to become a teacher, Cathy Gilbert, teacher at Carver Elementary, relayed a story that really touched me. Rather than write a story on Cathy and taint this inspirational account with my own words, the following is her answer verbatim.

“Why I wanted to become a teacher; it’s a long story.

I graduated from Leonard High School in 1970, 10^th in a class of 30. I grew up in a four room house with no plumbing (but a lot of love) West of Leonard. School was hard for me. I had a difficult time learning to read in elementary school. I was one of the struggling students who hated to be called on to read out loud.

For the first ten years out of high school I worked as a waitress and in sewing factories, until a lady I sat by told me not to spend my life in a sewing factory. When I asked her what else I would do, she told me to go to Beauty School. So I did. There was only one book we had to study, so I thought I could do that.

I was a hair dresser with my own shop for the next ten years. I was still lacking in self-esteem.  You see, I didn’t think I was smart enough to go to college. When I was in school, my sister and brother always seemed to be able to make higher grades with less study time. School was hard for me. It took me hours of study time to do well. When I got to high school I was studying with a friend and she said I must be a slow learner because it took me so much longer to memorize facts. That’s all it took. From that day forward I thought I wasn’t very smart.  I hid this lack of self-esteem by being successful in sports and cheerleading.

When I was in my mid 30’s, a friend asked me to take an exercise class with her. I jumped at the chance. It was at a Junior College. When we got there to sign up, they told us we would have to take a Pre-TASP placement test before we could register. I tried to back out because I thought I couldn’t pass a college test. My friend wouldn’t let me. I finally agreed to go back to take the test, dreading it all the way. But to my amazement, I passed everything except the math. I could sign up for any other class.

All the way home I kept thinking to myself, “Oh my gosh, I’m not dumb after all. I can go to college if I want to.”

I graduated 2^nd in my class from East Texas State University four years later.  I received a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. Later, I earned a certificate in Reading Recovery, a certification in ESL and a Master Reading Teacher Certification. I have spent my career as a reading teacher at Carver Elementary in Greenville, Texas. This will be my 19^th year as a teacher. That one Pre-TASP test changed my life and changed my self- image.

My school is located in a low socio-economic area. I come to school every day because I feel I can make a difference in children’s lives. I understand the struggling student because I still remember my own struggles as a young reader. I understand not having much. I always wore hand-me-down clothes or garage sale clothes when I was growing up. That’s why I tell my student’s everyday how smart they are, and how they can be anything they want to be when they grow up. It just takes hard work and determination.

My passion is reading, even though I struggled when learning to read. I am now an avid reader. I read every day for pleasure and information. Through limited self-disclosure of my struggles with reading, I try to motivate my students to share my love of reading.

I am still in the Leonard area. I live on our farm East of Leonard with my loving husband Billy.”