10/23/09 - Obion County
Educator of
the Week
By: Holly
Deasy and
Brandon
Artiles
9:00 p.m.
This week's
Tennessee Education
Lottery
Educator of
the Week
award goes
to Paula
Turner, a
kindergarten
teacher at
Union City
Elementary
School. She
says she was
meant to
teach
five-year-olds,
ensuring
they get
their
educational
career
started off
right.
"It's just a
place that I
feel
comfortable
and I'm
blessed to
have that
time with
their
children and
make that
initial
beginning of
school a
good start."
She says her
job is about
more than
the A-B-Cs
and 1-2-3s.
"There's a
lot to learn
in their day
and they are
busy from
the minute
they walk in
the door to
the minute
they go
home. It's
an important
job and I
take it very
seriously."
Turner
candidly
admits
teaching
kindergarten
is not for
everybody,
but she was
blessed with
patience.
"I always
say it's
just the joy
of
kindergarten.
You either
love working
with
five-year-olds
or you want
to pull your
hair out at
the end of
the day."
Turner falls
in the
former,
loving her
place in the
classroom
and
community.
"The
children are
wonderful
and also
getting to
form these
relationships
with the
families and
the
grandparents
and all that
goes with
their sweet
little
children."
Now in her
eighth year
at Union
City, Turner
says her
abilities
are enhanced
by her
colleagues
and was
quick to
make her
educator of
the week
award a
group
achievement.
"I think
when you
work with a
group of
people like
we have
here,
everyone is
so
deserving."
If you would
like to
nominate a
top
educator,
e-mail the
person's
name and why
he or she
deserves the
honor to
educator@wbbjtv.com.