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It is that time of year when our kids go back to school, and I always think of how excited I was to organize my new school clothes and the anxiety of who your teacher would be. Your teacher could make or break your attitude for a great school year, and fortunately, every teacher I ever had made a positive impact.
One of my favorite elementary school teachers was Mrs. Betty Harris, who encouraged my interest in writing, and I wrote my first poem in her room, which was about Christmas. I remember my older cousins telling me before school started that Mrs. Harris always had a Hawaiian Luau, and the class would make grass skirts and flower necklaces, and taste exotic fruits. So, I was so happy that she would be my teacher.
During my years at Andrews High School there were many remarkable teachers, and my very favorite teacher was Big Jim Wood. His teaching career spanned over 30 years from 1950 until 1982. He primarily taught English and literature, but was credited with being a great math teacher as well.
The drama that Jim Wood portrayed in his classroom while reading “Shakespeare” and other literary works of art could be attributed to the fact that during the summer months in the 1950s he was a star member on the cast of “Unto These Hills,” the outdoor drama at Cherokee, N.C. He played the part of “Sam Houston” and “John Ross.”
Mr. Wood once said, “The greatest compliment I ever received was from a young man in the U.S. Navy who visited me about four years after he graduated. He told me, ‘Mr. Wood, you made me want to know,’ and whenever a teacher is instrumental in exciting a student’s desire to ‘know,’ the teacher is successful.”
I remember being in awe of Miss Dustina Wooten (Reece), when she started teaching high school. She was absolutely beautiful and wore the most fashionable clothes. She taught algebra and Spanish, and some of the students thought because she was so young they could run over her, but found out quickly that she was a force to be reckoned with and that would never happen. She was the best Spanish teacher that had ever taught at Andrews High, and all the boys were in love with her.
Another special teacher was Miss Jean Christy who taught English. Not only was she a great English teacher, she constantly taught us how to behave and reminded us of our manners. She was all about rules of conduct and behavior in polite society.
When certain students were misbehaving, one of Miss Christy’s favorite quotes was, “Oh! Would some power, the gift to give us, to see ourselves as others see us.” Or if she walked in the classroom and caught them cutting up then acting all humble, she would say, “Act the innocent flower and be the serpent underneath.” Both of which, I have never forgotten and use on my grandchildren quite often.
Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “A great teacher never strives to explain his vision, he simply invites you to stand beside him and see for yourself.”
Kandy Barnard is a columnist for the Cherokee Scout. To talk about the Andrews Valley, call her at 828-361-3268 or email kandybarnard@gmail.com.