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‘I won't know what to do when the morning comes:' DMS guidance counselor retires after 13 years
As the school year comes to an end, Destin Middle School guidance counselor Karen Davis says farewell after 13 years.
“I won’t know what to do when the morning comes,” she told The Log.
Before coming to the Emerald Coast 35 years ago, Davis taught fifth and sixth grade in North Carolina for five years, but since her move to Okaloosa County she has taught everything from third to sixth grade and is now retiring from her post as DMS guidance counselor.
“I love being a guidance counselor,” she said. “It’s a great way to end my career.”
As opposed to being in a classroom with only her students, Davis said that being a counselor has given her the opportunity to get to know all the students and their parents.
“I get the whole school aspect,” she said.
In the past 40 years Davis has been in the education field, she said a lot has changed.
“Where do we even start,” she said. “The invention of social media has changed things… We used to have blackboards, now we have whiteboards.”
“I used to average grades with a calculator that plugs in, now parents can check their kids’ grades online.”
Davis came to Destin Middle School in December of 1998 and said her first day at Destin Middle School was “kinda scary.”
“I didn’t know what I was doing,” she said. “I was not very popular as the remediation teacher. I would take students out of their elective classes, such as art or computer class, and work on other skills.”
Over the course of time, Davis has become an important member of the Marlin family and evolved into her position as the school guidance counselor.
A typical day includes parent conferences, advising students on what classes to take, answering questions that students have and even cafeteria duty.
“Every day is different,” she said. “I’m going to miss the kids and all my friends at DMS.”
However, Davis said she probably isn’t going to miss cafeteria duty, taking in-service classes and the mounds of paperwork.
“I’m going to miss the trips and going everywhere with the kids. I enjoy seeing the kids in a social environment. It’s lets them know we’re human too and not ogres.” she said. “Seeing kids in action, that’s the life.”
