Rebecca Whittemore has been a staple of Alcorn Central for many years. Mrs. Whittemore is a graduate of Kossuth High School and Blue Mountain College. She landed her first job in the classroom at Alcorn Central after student teaching there during college. Later, she finished her Masters Degree in Social Studies Education.
Mrs. Whittemore is what one would call a history aficionado. She has taught many social studies classes over the years at both Alcorn Central Middle School and Alcorn Central High School. This past school year, she taught US History, Street Law, and Personal Finance.
This year, Mrs. Whittemore will be leaving the classroom after spending 32 years teaching. Despite her retirement, she doesn't have plans to walk away completely. She hopes to return as a part-time substitute, so she can stay connected.
Many students have filled the seats of Mrs. Whittemore's classroom. Several of them had some very encouraging words about her.
ACHS Class of 2013 graduate Daniel Derrick teaches Ag Sciences at McNairy Central High School. Along with his degree in Ag Education, he has a teaching endorsement in social studies. He attributes that partly to Mrs. Whittemore's dedication to her work. Derrick said, "She always was well prepared and went with the flow. She will forget more about history than I will ever know. The thing I remember most about her was her ability to connect with students and motivate them. She is definitely the reason I chose to get my social studies endorsement."
"My favorite part of Mrs. Whittemore's class was just her expertise in the subject area. I remember the first few days of US History, I just kept thinking 'Wow this woman really knows her stuff.' That always kept me engaged in her class," said Olivia Smith of the ACHS Class of 2018.
Lindsey Dunn, ACHS Class of 2019, enjoyed Mrs. Whittemore's class because she always found time to have fun with students despite being pressed by state test deadlines. "She kept a list of all the funny comments and moments of our class," said Dunn.
Alcorn Central High School is going to miss Mrs. Whittemore. Her experience, expertise, and love of her students is irreplaceable. We wish her the best in retirement and look forward to seeing her back in the halls soon!
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