Comal ISD Kindergarten Teacher Marcia Pittman Marks 40 Years in the Classroom
Long before today's Timberwood Park Elementary kindergarteners were born, Marcia Pittman was already helping 5-year-olds learn how to navigate their first big year of school.
This fall, the Comal ISD educator is beginning her 40th kindergarten class. Pittman helped open Timberwood Park Elementary in August 2008 after already spending nearly 21 years teaching kindergarten, and 18 years later, she remains in the same grade level and the same school community.
A Career That Found Her
Kindergarten was not necessarily the career Pittman originally envisioned. “I can't say I was inspired to be a kindergarten teacher,” Pittman said. “It just so happened that every school I taught at, they needed a kindergarten teacher. After so long, I invested so much time and money into the grade level and my classroom, it just made sense to continue.”
Four decades later, continuing has meant watching generations of students move from learning classroom basics to graduating, attending college and beginning families of their own. Comal ISD noted that Pittman has seen that passage of time through traditions ranging from kindergarten shoebox parades to senior walks.
Her connection to the district is also personal. Pittman's own children attended Timberwood Park Elementary and later graduated from Smithson Valley High School. Her son, Hunter Pittman, followed her into education and now teaches theatre arts at Pieper Ranch Middle School.
Teaching Independence, One Class at a Time
In Pittman's classroom, some of the lessons are the small routines adults may barely notice, such as walking in line, raising a hand and learning how to function independently in a classroom. By spring, she sees just how much her students have changed.
“By the end of the school year, they're pretty independent and can do pretty much anything,” Pittman said. “My goal is that they love school and they're ready to come back even though they won’t be in my class.”
Forty kindergarten classes amount to thousands of ordinary school days, first attempts, small victories and children taking their earliest steps through public education. For Timberwood Park families, Pittman's milestone is also a reminder of the educators who become part of a community's story simply by showing up year after year.
Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for more Comal ISD and local community stories.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
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