Mr. Combs holding a teacher appreciation gift from a student.
Ragan Huntsman & Raelin Nolan
May 5th through 10th marks the annual celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week. Throughout the week, students are encouraged to show their gratitude to teachers through simple acts of kindness. From heartfelt notes to goodie bags, the week is dedicated to our teachers' impacts on the education of Watauga students.
The effort and energy of our teachers never go unnoticed. This Teacher Appreciation Week, students reflect on the profound impact their teachers' kindness has had on their education.
“My favorite teacher was Madam Tedder,” said Kate McCullough, senior. “I loved her class because of her energy every day. Even when I was in a bad mood, I would walk into her class and her energy would light up the room and make it easy to pay attention in class.”
Students remember simple acts of acknowledgment from beloved teachers that help make their time at Watauga special.
“Coach Phelps has always been one of my favorite teachers,” said Evie Robbins. “He always takes the time to ask how my day is going, which makes his class really special.”
Apart from their fun personalities, Watauga teachers never lack in their academic vigor and genuine passion for bettering their students. Montgomery Cate Taylor, junior, reflects on Ms. Ogle’s eagerness to provide gentle, constructive criticism.
“I love Ms. Ogle. I took her entrepreneurship class and she made class fun and was so encouraging,” said Taylor. “She made me think about pushing my ideas along while also giving really helpful feedback.”
Watauga students are forever grateful for the doors to new experiences that teachers have opened for them during their academic careers.
“Mrs. Stumb has opened a lot of opportunities surrounding my career,” said Peyton Ash, senior. “She helped me get my internship at the Watauga Democrat and inspired me to get started in the right direction. This week, I want to give back to her by giving my all in her class and proving to the community what she has taught me.”
Carrington Epting, senior, is excited to show her appreciation for Mr. Combs this Teacher Appreciation Week. She is grateful for the passion for education that he shows tirelessly on an everyday basis.
“My favorite teacher is Mr. Randy Combs because he works endlessly to help students achieve their goals. He is one of the most driven and hard-working people I know and has the ability to make the subject of Social Studies extremely interesting and obtainable to learn,” said Epting.
Our teachers at Watauga work energetically to create a warm learning environment for every student. Students are grateful for how this has affected their educational careers and will remember the compassion of our teachers forever.
“I have had Mr. Combs as a teacher for the past 3 years and he somehow always manages to create a family within his classroom,” said Epting. “He goes beyond the surface level atmosphere and makes his classroom feel like home which is something I haven’t experienced before.”
Thank you to our beloved teachers!