Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Thursday night, four local teachers – two deceased and two living – were inducted into the Carter County Educators Hall of Fame. The four were Beth Cates, Edwin Alexander and the late Rada Dale Osborne and Dr. Josh Wandell. All four were career educators, who gave their all as teachers. Both, Wandell and Alexander, served as principals, and Alexander ended his career as Elizabethton Supt. of Schools. Osborne and Cates were elementary teachers.
Each day, we trust teachers with our most valuable resources – our children. They teach our boys and girls reading, writing, and arithmetic, but they also teach them about playing well with others, self-esteem, the importance of goal-setting and achieving, organizational skills, self-respect, respecting others, and other important life lessons.
When you think about it, teachers spend more time with our children than any other adult in their lives.
As we congratulate and recognize the four honored educators named to the Educators Hall of Fame, we also recognize all other local teachers, especially those who are still on the job. We know these highly trained, well-educated, credentialed professionals could find more lucrative careers but they choose to teach, making a lasting difference in the lives of our youth each day.
Teachers not only mold minds, they shape lives.
They not only prepare children for tests on math or spelling but ready them for the tests they will face one day, each day, as adults.
Teachers are arguably the most important members of our society. They give children purpose, set them up for success as citizens of our world, and inspire in them a drive to do well and succeed in life. The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow, and teachers are that critical point that makes a child ready for their future.
Teaching is a tough job, but it is one where you can make the most impact in another person’s life.
All of us, as adults, can think back and fondly remember that special teacher who made a lasting difference.
All of us, whether we have children in school or not, should say and do more to express our gratitude to the dedicated men and women who choose to teach.
Teachers, thank you for all you do.