• 41°
franklin county times

Teachers work to wrap up school year

 

Kristy Smith and Angie Garrison, fifth grade teachers at Tharptown, discuss supply lists for next year as part of t heir year-end wrap up. These are just two teachers who spend their summers getting ready for next year. | Melissa Cason/FCT

 

THARPTOWN – Tomorrow the final bell of the school year will ring, but while students are relaxing this summer, a teacher’s work has just begun.

Tharptown fifth grade teachers Kristy Smith and Angie Garrison say the end of the year is the most hectic time and they spend the summer getting ready for the next school year.

“It is like a mad house here at the end of the year,” Smith said. “We have tons of work to do on top of providing educational activities for the students during the final days of school.”

Cleaning the classroom, taking up textbooks and finalizing grades are just a few of the chores teachers are faced with at this time of the year.

“We also have to list things that need to be fixed in the classroom and give it to the principal and we have to get our supply lists ready for next year,” Garrison said.

“A lot of people don’t realize how much work it is.”

Garrison said once the final bell rings, many people just assume teachers are off work for two months and come back only just before school starts.

“We work all summer long,” Garrison said. “We have to get our rooms ready for next year. If we need things painted, we have to do them. We are lucky we get to paint our rooms, but it’s still a lot of work to it.”

Smith said she copied enough reading tests for this year last summer from the copy paper she had left over from last year.

“This year, I still have the tests, and I’ll do something else to make it a little easier when classes resume in August,” Smith said.

Garrison said teachers have to work hard in the summer to make sure everything runs smoothly during the year.

“Anything you can do ahead of time helps out because if we are not ready in August, the year is lost because when you get in this classroom, you’ve got to be ready to roll,” Garrison said.

Garrison and Smith say they are not alone during the summers at school.

“Most teachers here work in their classrooms during the summer,” Smith said. “Teachers at other schools may get months off with the kids, but the ones we know work during the summer, too.”

All this extra time in preparation comes without an extra paycheck or extra recognition.

“We teach for the children,” Garrison said. “Teachers don’t teach for the money. As with any profession, we take our jobs very serious and do whatever it takes to be ready regardless if it’s recognized or not.”

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Mousey Brown

News

Russellville First Baptist Church receives historical marker

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Meeting a higher standard – Russellville High School JROTC

News

RCS BOE announces new superintendent  

News

Miss Dream Girl Pageant names winners

Franklin County

First Metro Bank hosts FAME Girls’ Ranch donation drive

News

PCHS holds annual Shelby Grissom Memorial Fashion Show

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: VFW Post 5184 – ‘No One Does More For Veterans’

Features

Supporting students’ futures

Features

Red Bay Garden Club discusses amaryllis planting

Franklin County

UA announces local students for fall 2023 President’s, Dean’s, graduation lists

News

School news

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Troy Oliver

Franklin County

Appropriations bill passes, allots more than $3 million for new Russellville library/multipurpose center 

Franklin County

Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association names Cattleman of the Year 

Franklin County

Franklin County votes: Unofficial March 5 primary election results 

Franklin County

Funding for new Russellville library, multipurpose community center expected this week

Features

Faces of Franklin County: BTCPA

News

GFWC Russellville Book Lovers Club sponsors downtown art crawl

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Cody Bragwell

Franklin County

42nd annual Miss RHS pageant names winners 

News

Miss RHS pageant takes place Friday

Franklin County

Political announcement: David Hester speaks about run for reelection as county commissioner

Franklin County

BTCPA auditions for final production of season take place March 3-4 

x