Dee Day is Eagle Tire Pros teacher of the week 

By Charlotte Underwood 

JELLICO, TN. (WLAF)- We’ve all had that teacher who inspired us or helped in some way. That’s why WLAF and Eagle Tire Pros salute one of our hard working educators with a weekly feature. Teachers make a difference in their students lives each and every day. For many students, having a teacher who cares and goes that extra mile can be the difference in a successful education and graduation.

This week’s featured teacher is Dewanda “Dee” Day. She has taught Visual Arts 1, 2, 3 and 4 classes at Jellico High School for 20 years.

As a kid Day was “raised up north” but spent her summers in Jellico with her grandparents.

“My family moved back to Jellico my junior year of high school. I married my high school sweetheart Tony Day in 1984. We have three married children. Raymond and Koko Day, Randy and Delena Day and Amber and Arron Lambdin. We have 6 grandchildren,” Day said.

She and her husband live on a small hobby farm in Cappuchin, where they raise around 20 Nigerian dwarf goats and three horses, which Day “loves to ride.”

“We have four Great Pyrenees dogs for protection. I have three small rescue Yorkies and my husband has a small poodle. We also have six outside cats,” Day said.

She began to love art at a young age and had her first art class in Michigan when she was in seventh grade. Day drew her first portrait, which won best in show at the Michigan State Fair at the age of 14.

“My teacher Mr. G. was my inspiration for my love of art. My husband inspired me to pursue a career in teaching art,” Day said.

She went to college 13 years after high school and four years later she received her B.S. in Art Education P-12 from Cumberland (College) University.

To nominate a teacher for teacher of the week honors, please send your nomination to wlaf@1450wlaf.com.

Day said she loves her job, especially getting to provide artistic and creative opportunities for students.

“The state of Tennessee requires a fine art credit for high school graduation. My students are not offered art classes in elementary or middle school. My Visual Art 1 class is their first opportunity for an art class. We start the drawings from very basic shapes and transform them into works of art,” Day said.

She teaches at least five classes per semester (block classes), most of the time two levels in one class period. Most all the students at JHS will have her classes at least once.

“My favorite part of my job is to see a student look at their artwork and realize their accomplishments. It is like a light turns on for that student to see and realize their creations. I love giving my students a chance to explore a creative side of themselves they may have not known about,” Day said.

Another favorite aspect of her career is working at Jellico High School.

“I love working at JHS. It is a small enough school that you get to know everyone. The faculty and staff are like family,” Day said.

 Every Thursday, WLAF’s Charlotte Underwood features the WLAF – Eagle Tire Pros teacher of the week. That educator also receives a free oil change from Eagle Tire Pros. To nominate a teacher for teacher of the week honors, please send your nomination to wlaf@1450wlaf.com.

 (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 6/6/2024- 6AM)