For over four decades, education has been the center of her life. At the conclusion of the 2022 school year, however, Mansfield school teacher, Sue Ward, will retire.
Ward received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics in May of 1973. After student teaching at Greenwood High School, Ward would secure a job with the Mansfield School District. In 1990, after teaching for several years, she returned to school to attain a Master of Education degree.
“When it came time for my student teaching, I had the opportunity to go to Greenwood and that was great to study under Mrs. Young’s leadership,” shared Ward. “She was really strict and hard on me, but I learned what to do. The job at Mansfield became available and I went for an interview with Mr. Brewer. He hired me and I was so excited to come back to my old Alma Mater and teach. I graduated from high school here in 1959. He (Mr. Brewer) made it clear what he wanted, which was someone who would stay here for a while. The last few teachers that he hired only stayed one or maybe two years and left. I think I fulfilled his wishes. I started teaching that fall with two little boys, Dax, age five, and Michael, age three. There was no kindergarten program at Mansfield then. I needed a babysitter that I could depend on, so Joann Escalante took the job, and she was great with them. Unbelievably, I got pregnant that first year of teaching and had another boy, Shannon Colby, who was born in April. I had my hands full of responsibilities, but I loved it all. That next fall they started a kindergarten program at Mansfield Elementary, which was a blessing.”
Her years in education have afforded her many experiences and innumerable memories. “Some of my most memorable moments include having students elected to State or District Officers. Michael Ward was the first boy elected to District President and he worked his way right into the State Department, where they loved him and assigned him several responsibilities. Another area for highlights was having students compete in Star Events and place first or second with the opportunity to go to Nationals. Mallory Ward, Brandi Norris, and Hanna Johnson were among those. Another group was Austin Bingham, Kylie Ward, Addison Goetz, and Jana Coplin. These groups have all received the opportunity to compete at the national level, two years each. They won trips to Washington, D.C., San Diego, California, Anaheim California, Orlando, and Miami Florida, and went to two different National Conventions.”
Ward went on to add that “the most rewarding thing for me is when I get an email from a former student and they thank me for teaching them how to do something they are always doing now. Or, they will say something like, I learned that in Home Economics and I can do it better than my Mom can.”
Ward has taught basic Family and Consumer Science classes, which cover Family Dynamics, Personal Finance (Money Management), Life Span Development (formerly known as Child Development), Food Safety and Nutrition, Housing and Interiors, Clothing Management, Nutrition and Wellness.
“These were the courses required of us to teach,” shared Ward. “I loved teaching all of them because they were very practical and needed for this generation. Every class was something important to survive or raise a family today. The state has always given us opportunities and equipped our programs with the latest information needed to teach and be up to date.”
She has sponsored the student leadership group FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America), formerly known as FHA (Future Homemakers of America), for grades 9 -12. Throughout that time, she has led several workshops for state meetings.
In 2011, Ward was the recipient of the Arkansas FACS Teacher of the Year. Additionally, Ward has served on the ATFACS (Arkansas Teachers of Family and Consumer Science) Board for four years. Here, she helped plan and organize the State Meetings and worked on committees to develop new curriculum guides. For the past eight years, Ward has served as District I Star Event Coordinator. She has led the planning of events for competitions and judging for the district. Ward remains the District 1 Bursar.
“I worked hard organizing the classes and getting FHA activities planned for students to do. I remember the first time I had a sewing class- I was scared to death, afraid I would tell the students the wrong thing to do and they would mess up the material that parents had purchased for them to use. If that happened the parents would be mad at me, but thank goodness, that never happened. I got better every year at planning things to sew, and we received more equipment and more technology from the Coop. Today we have the most recent technology available in embroidery machines and kitchen equipment.”
Ward admitted that her husband, Dewayne, who is already retired, is anxious for her to join him. The couple has been married for 57 years, and look forward to spending more time together. “We were both still going to school when we were married, then Dewayne got drafted in the Army and left me. His tour took him to Ft. Polk, Louisiana. Then to Ft. Knox, Kentucky, where I was able to go with him, but not for long when he was sent to Anchorage, Alaska. He came home and took me back with him, and we drove the Alaskan Highway to Anchorage. We were there for two years and drove back down the Alaskan Highway with a Husky dog and a baby boy, Dax. The next year another baby boy was born, Michael Shawn. We bought a trailer and both of us went back to school to finish our degrees. I could not have done this without my mother’s help. She would keep the boys for me when I had finals, so I could study.”
Ward realizes that it will be a big adjustment for her, not returning to the classroom after 49 years. But, she is looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren. “I look forward to going to their school programs and competitions. Michael’s children are in Little Rock and Heather’s is in Rogers, so we can travel when we get ready to visit them. The older grandchildren are working but we still want to visit them and see if they can cook me a meal, ha! We just want to keep in close contact with their lives.”
Dewayne and Sue Ward plan to relax and enjoy the country life, work in their garden, ride their side-by-side up in the mountain, swing in a hammock, and relax. “We plan to go back to Alaska and enjoy some of the areas since Dax was born there. It would be nice if Dax and (his wife) Tari could go with us.”
Ward concluded that if she gets too bored, she can always return to school as a substitute teacher! “I love my job and know that my replacement will carry on with what is required in our community.”
The Mansfield School District will be hosting a retirement party for Ward on Thursday, May 26 at 4 p.m.
