Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Driscoll, Nelson
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/24/2020
Driscoll Reflects After Putting Bookend on Teaching Career (Loyal - 2020)
Debbie Driscoll spent 12 years of her 32 years as a teacher at Loyal. She taught first grade and Title I.
Valerie Brecht/Clark County Press
By Valorie Brecht
Loyal is where the first chapter of Debbie Driscoll’s teaching career was written. Now, her career has come full circle, and Loyal is also where the final chapter has been written.
Although Driscoll’s time in the district has come to a close, she is grateful for the students and families she’s gotten to know over the years.
“Teaching is definitely a true enjoyment for me. I love it, love it,” she said.
Driscoll taught for 32 years, The first 10 years, she taught first grade at Loyal Elementary School. She had a break from teaching for a few years, and then taught in Waunakee as a reading specialist for 20 years. After that, she returned to Loyal for two years, during which time she was a Title I teacher. She taught reading and study skills to students in first through eighth grade. She also went to St. Anthony’s Catholic School weekly to help students there.
One positive in coming back to Loyal was Driscoll got to work with her sister, Jackie Nelson, a longtime third-grade teacher for the district. Driscoll and Nelson are less than a year apart in age and have always had a close relationship.
Growing up, the girls were familiar with the education world. Their dad taught in a one-room schoolhouse and had lots of stories to tell them. They would sometimes use his manuals to play school.
“Jackie and I always wanted to be teachers,” said Driscoll. “We played school all the time with our neighbors. We played school forever and ever. It was like we were two sets of twins, because those two were brunette and we were blonde and so we did everything together.”
Interestingly, all four of the girls went on to become teachers. Three of them have been elementary teachers and one, a physical education teacher.
Driscoll said teaching has been a rewarding career for her. She loves seeing that “light bulb moment” when a student finally understands something or is able to complete a task that they first thought was too hard.
One of Driscoll’s passions is teaching kids how to read.
“With reading, [it’s] learning from when you are very young the joy and the fun and takeaways from it. Because you can go around the world in a book and you can take so many adventures in books,” she said.
She like to find books that match students’ interests and teach students how to learn for themselves so they can go on to become lifelong learners.
“It’s not just about reading the book; it’s about exploring and expanding your future,” she said.
Returning to Loyal, Driscoll said she’s enjoyed seeing familiar faces and lot of the staff members that were there during her first 10 years. She’s been able to reestablish past connections.
These small communities, you just know people. It’s just been wonderful to come back and you feel at home. You don’t feel out of place. … It’s been fun and really enjoyable. I’ve always loved Loyal. I’ve loved it here.”
Driscoll was recognized and thanked by fellow staff members for her service to the district during the end-of-the-year elementary staff appreciation breakfast June 5.
In her retirement, Driscoll plans to enjoy spending time with family, helping out her sisters and gardening. She also may consider tutoring or substitute teaching when the weather turns cooler.
She will look back on her time as a teacher with fond memories.
“It’s been really, really neat,” she said. “It will be sad, but it’s time.”
