Who was the teacher who changed your life? Maybe it was the one who stayed after class to help you grasp fractions—or the one who encouraged your love of reading with just the right book. At Morning Pointe Senior Living, we’re honored to care for the teachers who shaped so many lives, long before they joined our family.
For Teacher Appreciation Week, May 5-9, 2025, we are recognizing and honoring our residents who dedicated their time, talents, and wisdom to teaching the younger generations. While we don’t have space to mention all of them, here are some of our special retired educators who call Morning Pointe Senior Living home.
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Morning Pointe of Athens, Tennessee, Assisted Living
Lynda Dougan taught for 42 years in the city and county school systems. She taught 1st through 5th grade and says, “My favorite part of teaching was being part of their education and interacting with the children. My advice to educators now is to make sure that there is time for fun.”
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Kathleen Dalton was an art teacher for more than a decade. She taught in the school system as well as having an art studio at her house, where she taught art classes. Her favorite part of teaching art was how art opens up a whole new world to students. Her advice is, “Encourage the students to broaden their horizons and the creativity of art.”
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Linda Cheek was a teacher and principal during her career in education. Linda won Tennessee Teacher of the Year in 1997 and attended a celebration luncheon at the White House, where she met then-president Bill Clinton. She also was one of the first teachers in Tennessee to get her National Board Certificate, a huge accomplishment. Her advice for teachers is, “Be patient with the students.”
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Morning Pointe of Franklin, Tennessee, Assisted Living
Janice Albright was a teacher for 36 years, teaching kindergarten through 4th grade. That involved all subjects, including music, art, and physical education! She loved watching the children learn to read and their excitement when they “got it.” “You have to love what you do, and the children have to be the most important part,” she shares.
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Charlotte Westbrooke taught 1st grade for three years. She loved seeing the unique differences in each child. She offers this advice to teachers, “Look at each child, and try to see them for who they really are.”
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Fran Crouch taught grades 7 through 9 of junior high school for four years. She fondly remembers the 9th grade dance where every boy asked her to dance, and she danced with each one of them! “You need to respect the kids at their ages and love on them,” she says.
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Marianne Smith enjoyed a 40-year teaching career spanning kindergarten through 8th grade. “You have to make the little ones comfortable because they are away from their mom for the first time,” she advises. Her emphasis was always being positive, uplifting, and smiling a lot. Her favorite part of her job was greeting the children in the mornings and assuring them she wasn’t going to keep them overnight.
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Morning Pointe of Danville, Kentucky, Assisted Living
Polly Hanks spent 20 years teaching kindergarten at local Baptist Church. She notes, “Teaching children strong listening skills was rewarding, as it prepared them for future educational success, and I advise fellow teachers to go into it with an open heart.”
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Bea Hall dedicated 31 years to teaching elementary school and assisted in establishing a preschool program at Wayne State University. Her guidance is, “Be an attentive listener – you never know what a child has been through – and foster a loving relationship with your students. Sometimes it’s the only love they receive.”
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Eloise Roberts was employed as a substitute teacher for the county school system. Eloise took pleasure in teaching diverse classes and becoming acquainted with numerous students. Her most valuable advice to students is to pay attention.
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Laura Dunagan was an elementary school teacher and later in her career became a librarian. She found teaching 2nd and 3rd grade the most rewarding as the children had a solid grasp of fundamentals, allowing her to provide additional challenges. Her guidance for students emphasizes the importance of obeying the rules.
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Morning Pointe of Knoxville, Tennessee, Assisted Living
Trudy Dreyer taught 1st grade for eight years and then moved into teaching gifted education for students in 1st through 5th grade at many local schools. At retirement, Trudy had been teaching for 40 years! Her favorite thing about teaching is touching the lives of young people and watching them grow. She says, “I loved every moment of it!”
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Morning Pointe of Hardin Valley Assisted Living – Knoxville, Tennessee
Ann Stelter had many roles in the education system. She served in the education field in Houston, Texas, for over 30 years. She was a teacher, reading specialist, curriculum writer for the state, and assistant superintendent of schools. She shares, “The best part of teaching was getting to know students. My advice is to enjoy it.”
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Patsy Tarvin taught elementary school for 25 years across various states, as close as Tennessee and as far away as Hawaii! She says, “The best part of teaching is being around the children. Get to know the students to see how they learn best.”
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Sarah Cox was a music teacher in elementary school for 25 years in Athens, Tennessee. “The best part for me was spreading the joy of music,” she says.
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Conclusion
To every teacher in our Morning Pointe communities—thank you. You inspired minds, opened hearts, and built futures. We’re honored to share this chapter of life with you. This Teacher Appreciation Week, we invite everyone to reach out to a teacher who made a difference. A simple thank-you can mean the world.
