One of the longest serving teachers in Ector County ISD is retiring this year.
Mende Mays has been at Crockett Middle School — and only at Crockett — for 45 years. She currently teaches eighth-grade math and algebra I.
A native of Kermit, Mays earned her bachelor’s degree from West Texas State University, now West Texas A&M University, in Canyon.
Surprisingly, Mays said teaching wasn’t her initial aspiration.
“I was going to be a professional tennis player. And then my eighth grade math teacher is kind of the one that gave me the thought (of teaching). My parents were both in education. Then I in high school, I liked taking shorthand, and so I thought about being the court reporter. But then once I actually got down to it, education was where I wanted to be and I knew that’s where I needed to be,” Mays said.
She observed that teaching has changed quite a bit over the years.
“Kids are still kids, but the way kids are at school and the way they treat teachers is a lot different. Math has always been a subject that’s been tested, so the stress has always been there for that. But there’s just so much testing now that that makes it different. I guess ultimately, when you get in your classroom and teach, that’s what it’s all about,” Mays said.
Her passion for students, their learning and helping them to become successful is what has kept her going.
“It’s easy to love them and to show them that you care. And once you get that, then you can get their respect and it makes all the difference as to how they treat you and how they want to learn,” Mays said.
She added that she has always said you are either a middle school teacher or you’re not.
“You either love this age, or you don’t. If you don’t, you don’t need to be in middle school because they are ever changing. You never have two days that are the same. You never have two periods that are the same. You’ve got to be able to just flip on a dime with what you need to do if you see it’s not working. Middle school has been my passion, I guess … This is where I should have been, so I’ve never left,” Mays said.
Having been at Crockett so long, she thinks of it as home.
“… This is just where I love to be. We’ve had principals come and go. Students are now teachers that have come back,” Mays said.
She added that having former students return as teachers is very gratifying.
Sandra Kerr is one of those students.
“She’s not just a co-worker. She’s not just a mentor. She’s just not the legend of Crockett, she’s a friend,” Kerr said. “She’s synonymous; one and the same.”
Kerr co-teaches with Mays and Mays was Kerr’s ninth-grade teacher. The middle schools were previously junior high schools and went from grades six through nine.
“The amazing thing is how she has so much knowledge and yet she still gives me that opportunity to grow. … She made me the leader that I am. She did. And if you ask her I was a very quiet kid in school,” Kerr said.
She added that she never thought she would stand in front of a class, or faculty.
“That still freaks me out … She’s the one that pushes me,” Kerr said.
Kerr added that she gets scared that Mays is leaving, but like Mays told her, she’s just a text away.
Principal Maribel Aranda says Mays is the consummate teacher.
“Ms. Mays is the embodiment of what we want in a teacher; dedication to her students; dedication to her craft; and dedication to her school,” Aranda said in a text message.
Over the years, Mays has taught some of the parents of the current Crockett students.
“… It just makes me feel blessed because I haven’t had parents come back and tell me I was terrible. They usually have good things to say and their kids have good things to say that their parents have enjoyed being in class and that I was a good teacher and that they learned from me. It’s very nice being recognized for, I guess, longevity, but for still retaining my passion and having what it takes to make a good teacher because if I wasn’t successful, and my kids weren’t successful, I would have quit a long time ago,” Mays said.
“I’m not the person that wants to hang around just so that I can say, yeah, I taught 50 years or I taught 45. I’m not doing a good job, then I’m leaving,” she added.
Mays isn’t sure exactly what she’ll do in retirement and she’s not sure it will hit here until she would be reporting back to work.
“… I’m going to read some books and do some things that I’ve kind of put on the back shelf and enjoy my time,” Mays said.
