School and Community Fall 2023

of advice Missouri’s seasoned educators are the foundation upon which our society is built. No other profession directly touches the lives of entire generations with such depth and lasting influence. MSTA is proud to represent more than 40,000 talented educators spread across ten regions of the state, many of whom have dedicated their careers to serving our education system for 25 years or longer. With decades of firsthand experience, the following academic professionals are proud to represent their respective regions and offer a source of inspiration for fellow educators. Central Region L ouita Watterson (Lone Jack C-6) discovered her passion for teaching at an early age, playing school with her siblings. Today, she is in year 34 of her career as an educator. of Science in Education with a major in elementary education and a minor in library science. “Once I began working in the classrooms permanent teaching position, eventually teaching fifth grade for four years and fourth grade for 25.

Over the decades, Watterson learned the value of proactive classroom management through the “Love and Logic” approach, keeping her classrooms positive and structured. “One of the blessings throughout my career has been learning to deal with potential problems before they became a problem so that we could instead spend time having fun and enjoying our time in the

for my courses, I realized that being a classroom teacher was my true goal,” Watterson said. She came into the profession at a time when there were more teachers than positions – a stark contrast to the current day – and began working as a preschool teacher at various daycares. Watterson then accepted a paraprofessional role before securing a

“I remember being the teacher and giving them assignments to compete,” she said. “In high school, I worked as a student library aide and began to think that being a school librarian would be my career path.” This led her to Central Missouri State University, where she earned a Bachelor

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