ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, February 19, 1996 TAG: 9602200022
SECTION: NEWSFUN PAGE: NF-3 EDITION: METRO
When Stephanie Arnold was a student at Fairmont State College in West Virginia, a professor told her she had a knack for teaching.
Growing up in West Virginia, Arnold had seen "a lot of children so disadvantaged that they couldn't read." Arnold said that also nudged her toward education as a career. "I wanted to work at trying to help children have better lives," she said.
Arnold pursued a teaching career and has never looked back. She has taught at Spiller Primary School in Wytheville for six years. Arnold teaches pupils with a variety of learning skills, from special education pupils to academically gifted. "The mixture," she said, "is a challenge. I love seeing the light bulb go off in any child."
"Ms. Skinner is fair to us and kind, too. She's an extra cool teacher, and I've never seen someone so caring," said the pupil who nominated her.
Arnold, who says she always tries to put the children first when making decisions, for the first time will take her class to visit Williamsburg and Jamestown this year .
Married and the mother of two boys, Arnold enjoys reading and cooking.
LENGTH: Short : 30 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Stephanie Arnold Fourth grade, Spiller Primary Schoolby CNB