“I always knew I wanted to be a music teacher,” said Mrs. Peggy Clement. This statement is made evident by her life's dedication to teaching music.
Initially, Mrs. Clement wanted to be a high school choir director. This changed after she student taught primary school students.
Mrs. Clement began her teaching career in Bevier. There she taught K-12 vocal and instrumental music. She worked there for seven years and taught approximately 225 students on average each year.
Clement then moved to La Plata schools where she taught vocal music to K-12 students.
In her last year before switching to Kirksville schools, she spent half the day in Atlanta teaching K-12 vocal music and the other half of the day in La Plata teaching K-6 elementary music.
This year, after 16 years, she is retiring. She began teaching in Kirksville schools in 2003.
Kirksville Primary School principal Ernest Motley announced Clement’s retirement at last year’s Christmas music program. In an email, Mr. Motley also stated, “She is certainly a wonderful music educator that has always strived to help students develop an appreciation for music through a variety of instructional activities. Her music programs at each grade level provide an avenue for our students to truly express themselves musically and experience the joy that performing music as part of a group offers.”
Mrs. Clement agreed that “the most important thing to teach the kids is to love music.” She does more than teach a standardized music curriculum to every class in the primary school. She introduces students to multiple genres and styles of music and creates programs to share what they have been working on with the community. This year there is still a first grade program on March 28 and a kindergarten flag performance in May.
The flag performance has been one of many highlights of Mrs. Clement’s career. She has ran this program all the way through her career in Kirksville schools and even before. The program’s first rendition was at La Plata’s school in October 2001. This performance after September 11, 2001 was an emotional yet hopeful show for the community. Ever since seeing that reception, she has continued the performance as a way of bringing the community together and teaching students to appreciate their country.
Mrs. Clement maybe leaving Kirksville schools, but she is not leaving behind music education. She will be opening Mrs. Clement’s Music Studio and running it out of her home. She will offer lessons in multiple instruments such as piano, guitar, and drums. Clement also hopes to accompany fellow Kirksville music teachers during their contest seasons.
Clement is always proud to see students continue to work with music. Recently she was happy to hear about Matthew Nothdurft, a Kirksville High School graduate, singing on stage with world renowned trombone player Wycliffe Gordon.