...a bittersweet post

This is a difficult blog for us to post and will not be an easy read for many of you. I can assure you that those of us who have had the pleasure of working with Terry Simpson everyday are trying to soak up all of his wit and wisdom before he calls it a day. Please follow our Maryville College Teacher Licensure Facebook page to monitor the events being planned to celebrate the man, the myth, the legend, but most importantly, our friend...Dr. Terry L. Simpson.       BL, AO, and BW

Dr. Barbara Wells

Vice President and Dean of the College  

Maryville College 

Dr. Wells: 

I have always told my faculty in the Maryville College Teacher Licensure Program that when I am no longer an asset to the program, I do not want to stay in my position.  It seems that I have reached that point.  For this reason, I will retire at the end of the 2017-2018 academic year. 

If I may quote the Holy Scriptures that I read, “I have finished my course.”  At the close of the 2017-2018 academic year, I will have completed 44 years as a teacher.  This pilgrimage began in 1973 in Knox County Schools as a teacher at Cedar Bluff Middle School.  It was the realization of my dreams as a 7th grader.   

At the close of this academic year, I will have completed 28 years at Maryville College.  When I came to Maryville College, the Tennessee Department of Education was restructuring teacher education in the state.  Few people have the opportunity to play a critical role in the initial development of a new program.  I was given that opportunity.  I have given Maryville College a small amount of knowledge with a tremendous amount of passion as we developed a program that gained a local, regional, and national reputation.  We have realized every goal that I had for this program.  

As a 7th grader growing up in rural East Tennessee, I could never have dreamed in a million years the experiences teaching would give me.  I have taught at the middle school, high school, community college, and college/university levels.  I have taught in public, private, and religious education institutions.  I have lectured/taught in Haiti, Brazil, the Philippines, Estonia, and Saudi Arabia.  To be honest, on many occasions I was scared out of my mind. 

However, I must thank numerous individuals for my successful tenure at Maryville College.  First, Marcia Keith took a risk and hired someone the polar opposite of her to be her closest colleague.  She gave me lots of freedom to develop certain aspects of the new licensure program.   

Second, it is impossible to find adequate words to express my gratitude to Alesia Orren, Becky Lucas, and Bonnie West.  Each of these individuals brought different skills and expertise to our program.  We have had tremendous success and program recognition over the past 10 years, and Alesia, Becky, and Bonnie should receive the proper recognition for this success. 

Furthermore, adjunct instructors played a significant role in our program.  There were too many to list them all, but three adjuncts played a critical role.  The work and expertise of Steve Fugate, Evelyn Homan, and Joe Malloy were essential in the development of our program.   

Finally, the Maryville College Teacher Licensure Program would not exist without the students.  Some of the most outstanding young men and women that I have ever known have graduated from our licensure program.  They embraced our vision of teaching and did the hard work that resulted in the positive recognition that we have received.   

A friend once told me that I was the luckiest person on this earth because I have always enjoyed my work.  I do consider myself fortunate. I have given Maryville College 28 of the most productive years of my professional life.  I do not have any regrets. 

Sincerely, 

Terry L. Simpson, EdD 

Director of Teacher Education 

Professor of Secondary Education 

Director, Maryville College East Tennessee Math/Science Partnership 2008-2012 

Fulbright Awards -  Estonia 2000 and Saudi Arabia 2002       

“Oh No! You have Todd in Your Homeroom!?”

It was during the inservice days before school began that several 7th grade teachers discovered Todd was in my 8th grade homeroom class.  This was the kid from hell, or so it seemed, if you listened to what they said about him.  From day one and for several weeks, I must admit that I always had my eye on Todd, just waiting for his bad behavior to explode in my classroom.  In spite of this negative attitude toward Todd on my part, I took a few positive steps on how I would approach Todd.  The positive outcomes of these steps were more luck from a novice teacher than any display of wisdom on my part. 

This was the early 1970s, and divorce was growing at an alarming rate.  Todd’s father had left the family, and he had very limited contact with Todd.  Consequently, Todd was an angry young man.  His family situation explained some of his negative behavior.  

As a male middle school teacher, I was the very first male teacher many of my students had experienced.  Due to the increasing number of students living in single parent homes (and that single parent was often female), I was often the only positive male role model in the lives of many of my students.  This was a heavy burden to place on a young teacher’s shoulders.   

Looking back on this experience, I believe the most important step I took was to connect with Todd outside the academic coursework in my class.  During the early 1970s, Cedar Bluff Middle School had 900/1000 students in grades 6-8.  Many of our buses ran three loads in the afternoons.  Instead of sending the second and third load riders to the gym, they were sent to different classrooms identified as bus rooms.  Todd was assigned to my classroom as his bus room.   

Since I was sponsor of the Chess Club at Cedar Bluff, there were several chessboards on the shelves in my room.  Todd informed me that he liked to play chess, so I asked him if he would like to play against me during the wait for his bus.  He immediately set up a chessboard to play against me.  This connection was all it took.  From that point on, Todd would set up the chessboard each afternoon to play against me while he waited for his bus number to be called.  Yes, there were numerous times I really did not want to play chess with Todd, but I seldom turned him down.  This relationship outside of academics made all the difference.   

Do you have Todd in your class this year?  Let me offer a few suggestions:  

1. Ignore teacher gossip about how bad your student’s behavior was last year.  Give the student a new beginning. 
2. Students change and often mature from one year to the next.  Give this maturity a chance to work.  
3. Find out about the economic and social conditions of the student’s home life.  It may give you insight concerning the unacceptable behaviors of the student.  
4. Get to know your student and make a connection outside the academic content of your course.  This often takes time, but the result can make a profound difference in the behavior of the student in your classroom. 

Bless you my children, 

Dr. Terry L. Simpson 

Director of Teacher Education
Maryville College