My son Ben is an alumnus of the University of Colorado in Boulder and is in his 2nd year of law school at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. He’s still figuring out what kind of law he’ll practice, but he’s interested in litigation and public policy.
Mr. Bowman taught U.S. history my senior year of high school. He challenged us to think critically about history and our role in society. He engaged every single student on an individual level, and made class material relatable. He was my favorite teacher, and I hope Tennessee public schools continue to attract such talented educators. ~Ben
After graduating from UT in the school of Forestry and Conservation, my son Sam is now finishing his master’s degree in Forestry at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut. Sam has been a river ranger in Colorado, worked for a rare bird preservation foundation in Maui, and received the Mo Udall award for academic and leadership excellence in issues related to the environment.
A teacher who had positive impact on my time in high school and beyond was Mr. Shelton. His dedication and enthusiasm was apparent each day he greeted his class. As a world history teacher, he had thousands of years of human civilization from which to draw examples, and never failed to connect our lives to lessons from the past. ~ Sam
My daughter Amy graduated from East Tennessee State University with a degree in outdoor recreation. She is a resident of Eugene, Oregon, where she lives with her rescue pup Fiona. Amy is the Executive Director of SLLEA, a non-profit that helps young adults with autism (Smart Living, Learning, and Earning with Autism).
My 8th grade teacher was Mrs. Hopkins. She was delightful, loving, attentive, and encouraged my passion for reading.
When we had the assignment of memorizing a poem and reading it out loud, she stood in the back of the room and encouraged each student with gestures and smiles. Mrs. Hopkins taught us the required curriculum but she gave it life and nuance. She taught us that with kindness and support, each of us can help others blossom and become self confident. Mrs. Hopkins was a true gem and I am so grateful to have had her as one of my teachers. ~ Amy
My daughter Glenda has an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts from UT. She is a model and performer in Las Vegas, where she lives with her rescue kitty.
I was one of the “weird kids” growing up. That can make life difficult among your peers. My high school art teacher encouraged the “weird" artistic side of me. Ms. Zavishlock, or Ms. “Z”, as everyone called her, saw my passion for drawing and everything to do with art, and went the extra mile to encourage my creativity, and counseled me to submit my work to the annual Governor’s School for the Arts. Ms. Z was a powerful figure in my academic and personal life - an example of the strong and creative woman that I aspire to be. That lofty art room became a haven for me, a taste of what college could be like as I prepared to pursue a fine arts degree. ~ Glenda
My grandson, Aden is a 6th grader who has attended both Christiana Elementary and John Pittard Elementary, public schools in District 14. He has determined that he cannot pick a favorite teacher because he has loved them all.
Teaching is a hard job. That’s a lot of kids to take care of and to try to teach to read. They have to remember everyone’s birthday, and which books to help pick out at the book fair. They don’t even really get recess, because they’re always grading papers then. ~Aden
My children and grandchild are products of Tennessee public schools. I am grateful beyond words not only for these special teachers but for all of the outstanding, dedicated teachers from whom my children were able to learn.