Foreman ends teaching career at Columbia elementary
Susan Foreman is retiring as a sixth-grade science teacher at Columbia Elementary School. (CONTRIBUTED)
MADISON – As an educator, Susan Foreman has felt joy seeing hundreds of former students become successful and productive adults and parents. She is retiring from Columbia Elementary School.
Foreman said she was taught by many excellent teachers over the years, but two teachers “that I especially loved are still two women that I admire and keep up with to this day.” Sandra Vinson taught Foreman as a seventh-grader at Whitesburg Middle School, and Virginia Whitten Carden was her sixth-grade teacher at Chaffee Elementary School.
“I remember how they gave students so much respect in the classroom and made students feel special,” Foreman said. “They set high standards to bring out the best in students and gave us a feeling of accomplishment. Mrs. Vinson and Miss Whitten had a desire to educate young people and were positive role models.”
Foreman credits Vinson and Whitten with inspiring her to become a teacher.
Foreman earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Athens State College (now Athens State University). At Alabama A & M University, she received a master’s degree in elementary education.
“I have taught in Madison County and Madison City Schools for 25 years,” Foreman said. She worked at New Market Elementary School, Liberty middle and Heritage elementary schools and finally at Columbia as a sixth-grade science teacher.
“I know the person following in my job. He will do a fine job,” Foreman said. “I would just tell him to have materials ready in advance.”
Her husband Penn S. Foreman works for the Missile Defense Agency. The Foremans’ children are Eli, who is headed as a freshman to the University of South Alabama; Alex Foreman, who will be a high school sophomore; and Rebecca, who works for CSX in Nashville.
Foreman may have retired from teaching, but she will be busy in pursuing a new career with a local reality company in Madison. “I hope to do some traveling as well,” she said.
