Q and A with Amanda Wilson
Sumiton Elementary
Interview by Thomas Ingle | Image by Ryan McGill
One familiar face in Walker County Schools is Mrs. Amanda Wilson, who teaches 4th Grade at Sumiton Elementary School in Sumiton. We recently caught up with her to talk about her teaching career and background.
78: What is special about teaching at Sumiton Elementary?
AW: The Sumiton/Dora area has been my home for many years, and I love this community! This is the community where my husband and I have chosen to live and raise our family. I have taught at the Sumiton schools for twenty years and can’t imagine teaching anywhere else.
78: How do you prepare for each school year?
AW: I prepare for each school year with a lot of prayer and planning. I truly believe that each child is placed in my class for a reason. I always look for new and fun ways to present academic material.
78: Tell us what made you want to go into teaching, specifically teaching elementary students.
AW: My love of children drew me into teaching. Teaching is a challenging yet rewarding career. Elementary schools teach those very important foundational skills. I feel like I have an extraordinary opportunity to influence their future.
78: What is your favorite part about teaching?
AW: My favorite part of teaching is my students. They are what keep me going! Teaching the same group of kids all day, all year long helps build a strong bond. Another favorite is my amazing co-workers! I couldn’t make it without them.
78: What is the most challenging part of teaching elementary students?
AW: In general, since COVID, students are behind more than they ever have been before. Along with your normal requirements comes bridging the gap for those students who have missed so much in the past few years. I feel like more often we are getting students that are coming from traumatic life experiences.
Being an elementary teacher, it is hard to prepare yourself to handle these situations and wear “all the hats” that a teacher wears on a regular basis. We must be mom, dad, nurse, counselor, disciplinarian, and several other roles all while teaching academics.
78: What person or persons in your life inspire you?
AW: The person who inspires me is my dad, Ronnie Ferguson. He passed away in July of this year. I will always keep with me the life lessons that he taught me throughout my life. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without his love and support.
78: Tell us a little bit about your background and family life.
AW: I grew up in this area and graduated from Corner High School in 1998. I went to college at UAB where I graduated in 2003. I started teaching kindergarten in 2003 at Sumiton Elementary/Middle School. In 2010, I moved to 3rd grade, and when the new Sumiton Elementary was built, I was moved to 4th grade. It’s where I’ve been ever since!
I’ve been married to my husband, Barry, for 19 years and we have three beautiful children: Brooks is 17 and a junior at Dora High School, Millicent is 15 and a sophomore at Dora High School, and Case is 9. He’s in my 4th grade class at Sumiton Elementary.
We have two dogs, one cat, and a bearded dragon (who is my class pet). I also have another class pet, a rabbit named Mocha, who the kids love! 78