Honoring the past and present during Teacher Appreciation Week

Share your favorite teacher stories in the response section at the bottom of this story

By Jim Freeman

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, and I would like to express my appreciation and respect for our dedicated Campbell County educators. Everyone has a favorite teacher story. I’m no exception.

One fun memory is from second grade in Louise Sharp’s room at West End School. My dog followed me to school one morning, and when I went to my class, he was outside the school house. It didn’t take long for him to get into the school. He found me. It created quite the stir, because we had just started a math test. Miss Sharp let me leave class and take Scruffy back home.

“Son, two wrongs don’t make a right,”- Jerry Dagley

“You’re probably going to pay for this, Freeman”- Jasper Singleton after giving me permission to skip Miss Woodward’s class to officiate a basketball game at the junior high.

“Star, you’re gonna have to play better tonight if you want to beat Jacksboro-” Ken Hicks

“I’ll make a deal with you. When y’all win, I’ll buy you a coke, and when you lose, you’re buying me one. She’d never let me buy one”- Lou Baird

“Alright gang. Clear these halls. This is not a pep rally”- Glenn Morton

“I guarantee you’ll work in my class, but you’ll also laugh at least once in here every day”- Carolyn Woodward

Thanks for the memories, the life lessons, the encouragement, the kindness and the examples you were to me. 

Kindergarten: Lizzie Russell

West La Follette School Principal Edison Brown

First Grade: Edna Lambdin

Second Grade: Louise Sharp

Third Grade: Emma Sharp

Fourth Grade: Ethel Agee

Fifth Grade: Aileen Crowder

La Follette Junior High Principal Bob Carden

Sixth Grade: Helen Olvey, Mary Chambers, Pat Stiner, Josephine Stout,

Seventh Grade: Burton Nevils, Virtaree Ruffin, Eva Parks, Mary Ann Jackson-Harrison, Jack Faulkner, Bobby White

Eighth Grade: Jo Ella Ray, Doris Sharp, Charles Owens, Lucy Lobertini, Jim Heatherly, Smiley Miller

La Follette High School Principal Glenn Morton

Freshman: Paul Lynch, Bertha Goad, Carolyn Woodward, Jim Pierce, Georgia Murray

Sophomore: Bill Russell, Carolyn Woodward, Jim Pierce, Georgia Murray

Junior: Sharon McNeely, Georgia Murray, Lou Baird, Ken Hicks, Vermon Morton

Senior: Janice Brooks, Don Templin (two classes), Cookie Stittums (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-05/05/2026-6AM-PHOTO SUBMITTED)