Sealy ISD: Six Educators, 175 years of service

The first day of school jitters can be overwhelming for students, but all it takes to alleviate them is a caring person to offer support.

For many Sealy Junior High students, long-time guidance counselor Sharon Taylor was that special person offering a friendly face. This year, she heard from a student who was anxious about starting school and looking for the comfort and support she had come to rely on from Taylor during her challenging junior high years.

You see, Taylor retired in May 2023 after 50 years in education, and this student knew that friendly face she had come to depend on wouldn’t be there on the first day of the new school year.

“I was her go-to person for a couple of years. I counseled her through text today and let her know the other counselor is very caring as well,” said Taylor.

Six educators retired from Sealy ISD in May 2023. With a combined experience of 175 years, they impacted students in every Sealy campus in special education, physical education, core subjects including math and social studies, teacher support and as a guidance counselor.

Before her 26 years as a guidance counselor, Taylor taught 3rd through 8th grade for 24 years. She was inspired to become a teacher because of her mom, who was also a teacher, and her love for kids.

Retired elementary PE teacher and coach Laura Thaxton taught in Sealy ISD for 31 years. Thaxton was a girls’ coach at Sealy Junior High for 15 years and taught PE at both Maggie B. Selman and Sealy elementary schools. She even did a stint as a health teacher at Sealy High School.

“I am originally from Sealy, so it was nice to have the opportunity to teach and coach here,” Thaxton said. “I knew I loved playing sports and being around sports, and I loved kids, so for a long time, I knew I would be a coach and a teacher. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. It’s what I was meant to do.”

“Coach Thaxton was always giving of herself and her time to others, our families, and our students. Her goal is to see everyone succeed and be happy while doing it. She is a true, genuine professional, and everyone respects her good heart and high standards,” Winkelman said.

Alfreda Cloud’s 26 years in education runs the gamut from reading interventionist to elementary core subjects like math, science, history and 6th-grade social studies all in Sealy ISD.

Cloud became a teacher after several years as an accountant. She wanted a career where she could be with her own kids and one that centered around her love of children.

Melissa Schram’s passion for mathematics and her gift for teaching others led to a 30-year career in education. She taught for 25 years at Sealy Junior High — 22 as a math teacher and three as an instructional coach, helping develop teachers’ skills in the classroom. She began her career teaching high school Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2.

“I was always an excellent math student; my high school and college friends would come to me for help when they didn’t understand. They told me I had a good way of explaining things,” Schram said. “I figured I could pass my love and knowledge on to others. I also enjoyed the relationships built between the teacher and students.”

Sealy Junior High Principal Mat Withrow referred to Taylor, Cloud and Schram as “legacy teachers in Sealy ISD,” whom he was still trying to convince to come back. “I was fortunate to work with them for the last five years. They all significantly impacted students, parents and the community in different ways. In my personal experience, they all loved kids and took their craft seriously,” Withrow said.

Special education teacher Karl King retired after a 28-year career where he spent 21 years in Sealy ISD, touching many lives and making a positive impact, said Director of Special Education Shae Whatley.

Sarah Winkelman worked with King as the principal at Sealy Elementary and when he was the co-teacher in her classroom.

“I learned so much from him and had my own “ah hah” moments. Our classroom 

was successful because of the time and support he poured into our students and helping me as a young teacher fresh out of college.” Winkelman stated.

“Karl King was passionate about helping students who significantly struggled in school,” “He had a keen eye for recognizing a skill that needed additional reinforcement, and he would either find a tool or create a tool to provide more practice for this student,” Winkelman said.

In addition to helping students with learning differences, King also enjoyed the competitiveness of the UIL Number Sense team, Winkelman said. He loved challenging the number fluency of his UIL contestants, who often took 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

Jimmy Abraham worked in Sealy ISD for ten years, supporting Sealy High School teachers and serving as a soccer coach. Dr. Hallmark described Mr. Abraham as “such a great man” who knew his students well and was loved by the SISD staff.

Adapting As Education Changes

In a career spanning decades, change is inevitable. These educators have witnessed teaching strategies come and go as the needs of students evolve. They also managed to support students through the upheaval of the pandemic.

“In 30 years, I have seen the education system change,” said Schram. “There seems to be a cyclic approach when it comes to education. Someone will think that they have solved all of the problems, so people try it their way. Sometimes, it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I genuinely believed in my methods and stuck with those throughout my career, even when others would see them as outdated. I still obtained success in the classroom and on standardized tests.”

Thaxton said over the years, she evolved as a person and approached her vocation differently. The pandemic spurred significant changes by developing a cleaning and sanitizing routine for equipment and mats after every class. “We had to do things differently, so I tried to change the rules of the games. We also had to get enough balls, frisbees, noodles and other equipment for each student. It took time, but it worked,” Thaxton said.

Concerns about the mental health needs of children have been on the rise since the pandemic. Taylor said not only are counselors providing more support to students, but teachers are also dealing with more behavior issues than ever before.

The Unexpected Rewards of Teaching

Teaching and working with kids is not for the faint of heart and often involves more than teaching from a book.

“There are always those hard days when I was tough on the kids. But later, when they come back and say, ‘Thanks for pushing me, it made me a better person,’ that made me feel good,” said Thaxton.

When Cloud realized a student in her first-period class wasn’t eating breakfast, she began stocking her classroom with snacks and bringing money to the cafeteria if she saw a student needing lunch.

“There are some moments like when an autistic student remembered my name and actually answered a question! Then to see students in high school who remembered what I had tried to teach them in 6th grade!” recalled Cloud.

Each year, Schram took the time to review how her new students performed in the past and then had conversations with each one to understand what goals they had for the upcoming school year. She vividly remembers a student who had never passed the Math STAAR (the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) test.

She said usually, if a student has struggled, by the time they’re in 8th grade, it is difficult for them to be motivated to try. However, this student wanted to succeed, so he began doing everything she did, including writing with the same pens and markers she used. “If I wrote something in green, so did he. He gave me 100% effort that year, even when it could have been easy for him to throw in the towel,” she said.

He improved all year and felt optimistic about his performance on the Math STAAR test. When the scores came in, Schram looked for his first, before her own daughter’s scores, she said.

“Not only did he pass, he was right on the cusp of being in the masters category. I literally cried for what he accomplished,” she said.

Encouragement for the Next Generation of Teachers

As the new year begins, these recent retirees offer advice for new educators taking the reins. Cloud shared, “Be caring and patient. Try to leave your work at work!”

Taylor said the key to classroom management is starting the year as a strict disciplinarian so you can loosen up later and have fun.

Thaxton and Schram encouraged teachers to overcome the tough days and focus on the positives.

“Don’t get discouraged because one day could be a total disaster, but you come back the next day, and it’s totally worth it. Always put the student first. I do believe it,” Thaxton said. Schram said new teachers should prepare for anything.

“Look for those students, times, events and stories that bring you joy and focus on them. You will realize that you keep returning for the good things that happen and not the bad,” she explained.

ABOUT THE WRITER:

Carrie Ward loves doing life with her husband and best friend of 22 years, Aaron. She is a full-time mom and chauffeur to four active, smart, talented kids. Carrie loves getting lost in a good book or podcast. Professionally, Carrie shines when she is helping businesses tell their stories to customers and prospects through media relations and marketing.