The topic of teaching has been in the news often over the last few years.  In the spring of 2020, COVID-19 disrupted the world of education and continued to drastically affect teaching and learning within a physical space.  Teachers had to adjust to disseminating lessons online and teaching students through a computer screen.  Students had to do their best to stay engaged while sitting in their dining rooms or on their couches and communicating with their teachers via Zoom.  An already challenging job became nearly impossible.  Many teachers understandably left the profession.  The ones who stayed, however, made the best of an undeniably difficult situation.  

Because of the challenges that COVID-19 created in schools and districts across the country, the value of teachers should have risen.  Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case universally speaking.  In other words, good teachers are hard to find.  Haywood County Schools (HCS) is quite fortunate, though, to have many high-quality teachers teaching across the district.  

This past fall, HCS announced building level teachers of the year.  Out of those teachers, three were selected as grade band teachers of the year and were placed in the divisional pool (West, Middle, East Tennessee) with the opportunity to be recognized on the state level.  The grade bands were divided into three groups based on grade levels: Pre-K – 4, 5-8, 9-12.  Each of these grade bands offer specific rewards and challenges when teaching that particular age group, but are of equal importance when it comes to educating students.  

The grade band teacher of the year for Pre-K – 4 grades in Haywood County Schools is Annalynn Smith.  

Annalynn is in her third year of teaching in HCS and her eighth year of teaching overall.  Before coming to teach at Haywood Elementary School (HES), Annalynn taught in Dyersburg and had a pretty special group of students.

“My first teaching job was in Dyersburg.  I started teaching Pre-K there and then looped with my class.  I had the same students for four years straight.  I had them from Pre-k to Kindergarten to First grade to Second grade,” Annalynn explained.  “I had a very well rounded group of students.  The relationships with the parents were great, too.  The end of the second grade year, which was the last year with the group, was so hard.”

Having the same group of students for four years in a row had a lot of advantages, but the biggest advantage was building relationships with students and their families.

“I had built such strong relationships with not just the students, but their families, too,” she said.

After her group students finished second grade, they moved to Dyersburg Intermediate School, and Anna found herself moving on, too.

“I initially applied in Crockett County, but they were taking a long time to get back with me.  I did my student teaching there, so I knew some people in Crockett and it was familiar to me, but I was getting nervous because I hadn’t heard anything back from them,” she said.

Luckily for Annalynn (and HCS), she had a friend who recommended that she apply in HCS.

“I go to church with Hannah Matlock, who works at Haywood Elementary School, and she asked me ‘What are you doing next year’ and I was like ‘I don’t’ know’. And then she told me they had an opening in second grade and the rest is history.  This is where I needed to be and I know that now,” Annalynn said.  “I taught virtual for half a year, but then came back to the physical classroom when this spot opened up midway through the year last year.”

As Annalynn settled into her role in the classroom at HES, one difference she noticed right away was that her classes were fully inclusive.  Fully inclusive classrooms encompass all learners rather than separating certain students who face behavioral or learning challenges.  Because of this inclusivity, Annalynn has seen an exponential amount of growth from all of her students.

---

Fully inclusive classrooms encompass all learners rather than separating certain students who face behavioral or learning challenges.  Because of this inclusivity, Annalynn has seen an exponential amount of growth from all of her students.

---

“In Dyersburg, we did not have inclusion classes at the elementary level, so that was something that was an adjustment when I came to Haywood County.  This year is my second year with an inclusion class and I know more now than I did my first year,” she explained.  “I see so much growth with my inclusion students, though.  I remember when they started at the beginning of the year and I can see how far they’ve come and how much they’ve grown.  We all work really well together.  It’s not even just academics – it’s social awareness and behavioral improvements.”

Although Annalynn has taught every grade in the elementary grade band, she’s really found her niche in second grade.

“I love teaching second grade.  I don’t really want to go back to the younger grades in elementary.  Second grade students still need me but they’re also a lot more independent.  I can have quality conversations with second grade students that I can’t necessarily have with a kindergartner or even a first grade student,” she said.

The path that led Annalynn to teaching was fairly straightforward.  She comes from a family of educators.  Her mother is currently a teacher at Jackson Christian School, and her grandparents were also in the field of education.  

---

I love teaching second grade.  I don’t really want to go back to the younger grades in elementary.  Second grade students still need me but they’re also a lot more independent.  I can have quality conversations with second grade students that I can’t necessarily have with a kindergartner or even a first grade student.

---

After testing the waters of the nursing program her freshman year at the University of Tennessee at Martin, Annalynn decided that teaching was the career that she really wanted to pursue.

“Growing up, my mom was a teacher, my grandparents were in education.  I always said I wouldn’t be a teacher and here I am,” she said.  “I started out in nursing and that just wasn’t for me.  I began taking education classes and I loved them and I had to reevaluate why I had always said I wouldn’t be a teacher and I couldn’t find a good reason.  I guess it’s always been in me that I would be a teacher.”

Any profession in the educational field is challenging, but those challenges were greatly multiplied over the last two years as schools, teachers, parents, and students all did their best to navigate COVID-19.  Even before the pandemic, however, Annalynn realized how time consuming and intense being a great teacher can be and that personal motivation has to come from within.

---

Any profession in the educational field is challenging, but those challenges were greatly multiplied over the last two years as schools, teachers, parents, and students all did their best to navigate COVID-19.  Even before the pandemic, however, Annalynn realized how time consuming and intense being a great teacher can be and that personal motivation has to come from within.

---

“I would tell someone who is considering going into teaching that they make sure the motivation for this is intrinsic.  If someone is thinking that they get summers off or that teaching is ‘easy’, I make sure and tell them it’s not.  Teaching is challenging but it’s extremely worth it. I would want someone to be honest with me,” she said.  “The most challenging part about teaching is that kids come from all backgrounds.  Some kids come from homes where there’s not a lot of support, but some students come from homes where that support is found in abundance and those students come to the same classroom and learn the same material.  That’s challenging for a teacher to meet each of those student’s needs and make sure those students are receiving the best education possible.”

As Annalynn has grown in her profession, she’s found one important cornerstone that she sees as the common denominator in all outstanding teachers.

“Relationships.  Relationships. Relationships; not just with the kids but with the other teachers, with the parents, with the administration – just the whole school.  Having that open communication with others and being able to work well with your students and others at school,” she said.

At a time when many educators are leaving the profession, Annalynn has chosen to stay and can’t really imagine doing anything else.

“Teaching is my main priority because this is where I’m supposed to be.  Sometimes it’s hard, but every day there’s something that reminds me that this is why I’m supposed to be here…to be a teacher,” she explained.

And not only is Annalynn staying in the profession, she is choosing to do it in Haywood County.

“When I left Dyersburg, I didn’t want to teach in Jackson even though I lived there,” she said. “I didn’t want to teach at a private school, either.  What I’ve found that I love about Haywood is the relationships I’ve formed here with my co-workers and my students.  It makes it very hard to leave a place like this.”

Annalynn has found a home at Haywood Elementary School, and her students and peers are glad she did.  The building level teacher of the year is chosen by teachers at that particular school.  If that doesn’t tell someone how they are valued by their peers, nothing will.  Annalynn realizes that and is very appreciative of it.

“HES is smaller than my previous school in Dyersburg, but that actually makes us a closer faculty…like family almost.  And, that’s something I value so much.”