Students inspire retiring teacher

Donna Crispin has lived most of her life in Fort Sumner. She graduated from the Fort Sumner Schools in 1982. She attended college in Las Cruces at New Mexico State University, where she received her Bachelor’s in Education degree and later received her Masters from Grand Canyon University in Arizona. Crispin’s first job was immediately after she graduated back in Fort Sumner. She taught for half a year before moving on to teach in Gallup. It was in Gallup where she taught for seven years in grades kindergarten through second. She said this was an exciting time for her because it was her first real teaching job. Crispin moved to Clovis in 1996. She has taught in four Clovis schools; two years at La Casita, three years at Lincoln Jackson, one year at Bella Vista and 14 years currently at Sandia.

Donna Crispin is a teacher at Sandia Elementary School.

What do you like about your job?

Teaching is and has been my whole world, besides my family of course.

How lucky I am that every day I get to enter into my own classroom and work with a group of little ones that are just waiting for me to convince them that they want to learn something new and exciting today. Even though, some days are tough. I wouldn’t trade a single one of those days because ever situation helped make me become the teacher that I am today.

What don’t you like about your job?

That people don’t realize just how much teachers do and that teachers do not get the kind of respect they deserve. Based on my own experience, my days, nights, and weekends are mostly spent taking care of school; either grading papers, filling out paperwork on students, lesson plans, searching for new ideas to teach, staying after school to tutor students, and most of all worrying about my students learning from day to day. It is definitely not a 9 to 5 job!

What’s your idea of a perfect day?

My perfect day would be a picnic in the park on a nice day, followed by watching the sunset and gazing at the stars and constellations. I also like traveling and visiting different places I haven’t been before.

What’s your favorite TV show, past and present?

Growing up I liked to watch “Happy Days,” “Little House on the Prairie” and “Touched by an Angel.” Nowadays, I like to watch “NCIS,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “Chicago Fire,” “Med” and “PD.”

When you were a kid, what did you think you’d be doing as an adult?

Easy one. Since I was in the third grade, I always knew I was going to be a teacher. I had such an amazing teacher back then. Something about her made me want to be like her some day and help other kids.

What is your theme song?

“You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban.

What’s so great about your favorite sport?

I like watching football. My favorite team is the 49ers.

What’s your favorite smell?

My favorite smell is the air just after it rains. It smells so fresh and clean; Also, I like the smell of fresh chile roasting at the start of the season.

Tell us about your greatest individual accomplishment?

I have taught for 28 years and I will be retiring in May. My greatest accomplishment is in being a teacher. I have loved watching my students grow and learn to read. The excitement I see in their faces. I like to hear the laughter when they think something is funny, and the innocence they possess when they believe that the puppet I am using is really talking to them. I hope that all students will never give up on reaching for their goals, that they believe in themselves and will work to become anything that they want to be in life.

What do you envision your life being like in 10 years?

I would love to publish one of my children’s books that I have been writing. I would also like to travel. I may be subbing or visiting classrooms to teach a lesson. Only time will tell.

— compiled by Correspondent D’Nieka Hartsfield