Published: May 11, 2009 08:17 am      

Teacher retires after 43 years

Tupelo — Sandra Mantooth is a story teller. She has taught at Tupelo High School since 1971, and at Ninnekah High School from 1969-1971, Talihina High School from 1966-1969, and Summer School English at Ada High School in 1990, and has been dedicated to learning her entire life. At a young age in San Antonio, Texas, Mantooth witnessed history in a couple ways.

“I was living there when Sputnick went up. They split the town up and I was transferred to a brand new area that had the first college-preparatory high school,” Mantooth said. “We had to have 42 credits at that time to graduate.”

In San Antonio, Mantooth attended Sam Houston High School, where her teachers would interest her in the occupation she would eventually pursue.

“I was influenced by a history teacher and an English teacher,” Mantooth said. “I had great mentors and I thought, ‘That’s what I would like to do.’” She became involved in the Future Teachers of America, giving up her dreams of becoming a veterinarian.

“My first love is animals and I always wanted to be a veterinarian. At that time—in the early ‘60’s—veterinarian school was not open to women,” Mantooth said. She moved to the small town of Ada, Oklahoma to help her uncle on his ranch.

After attending the University of Oklahoma and the University of Arlington in Texas, Mantooth eventually graduated from East Central University.

“I got my first teaching contract in 1966 in January at Talihina, Oklahoma,” Mantooth said. She moved to Ninnekah in 1969 and then on to Tupelo in 1971.

“When I came here, I thought, ‘Well, eventually I’ll get closer home to Ada,’ and of course that was 38 years ago,” Mantooth said. “I really like the community, I like the people and I really like the school.”

She has been teaching her favorite subjects, English, history and Spanish ever since. She is involved in many extracurricular activities, as well.

“At a small school, everyone pitches in and helps everyone to do everything,” Mantooth said. She leads by example and tries to invest herself in the futures of her students.

“The first educators—and I sure don’t want to put myself in the same category as Socrates, Plato or Aristotle—they talked and walked with their students. You can get the feeling of what they want to know, what they do know and what they need to know,” Mantooth said. During the Vietnam war, Mantooth spent many hours writing to some of the students in her first senior class who had gone to the war.

“At one time, I could barely afford the stamps. I was writing to 32 different boys overseas,” Mantooth said.

In 1989 and 1990, Mantooth was the Oklahoma History Teacher of the Year for her involvement in preparing students for competitive scholastic events.

She’s seen many of her students grow to adulthood and has even taught alongside a few at Tupelo. After the many challenges and accomplishments in her life, Mantooth is eager to return to her first love: animals and get some relaxation.

“I raise horses and have dogs. I want to do some traveling and I want to do some writing,” Mantooth said. After 43 1/2 years, she’s certainly earned her extended vacation.