Video: Local Teacher Retiring After 46 Years

VERNON, Ala. (WCBI)- Mrs. Chandler has been a teacher the majority of her life- close to half a century. She has just recently announced, this year is her last.

In 1970, President Nixon was halfway through his first term of office and Ernestine Chandler was teaching her first class.

“46, 36 here at Lamar County High School, I taught several years in college…” says Chandler.

Literature is her passion.

“I love teaching English literature and I love Chaucer, Shakespeare and Milton and it just makes them appreciate their English heritage more,” says Chandler.

Her students are her other passion.

“This is a wonderful group of children, if this is my last… I’m going out with the best. They’re so enthusiastic as you can see, I’m just really proud of them,” says Chandler.

You could say the feeling is mutual.

“She’s my favorite teacher… she really is. I love her to death and she treats all of us like her babies. She’s just hilarious and a little bit crazy, there’s nothing wrong with that,” says senior Ethan Wheeler.

“I think it’s safe to say that you haven’t been in an English class until you’ve been in Mrs. Chandler’s English class. She’s gonna break it down, she’s going to get you into English even if you’re not an English person. She’s been a great role model to all of us she’s got us in to doing stuff we’re not normally used to doing so that’s a good thing,” says senior Chris Schackelford.

Stuff like dressing up like a character from one of Chaucer’s popular tales.

So why do these high school seniors do it?

Well, not just for the grade.

“It makes her happy, and we’d all do anything for her,” says Wheeler.

“School so often is just something we just go through the motions, and with this we really tried and we really put our heart into it and I really think we got a lot out of it,” says senior Ashlynn McCain.

This being just one of many lessons Chandler’s hopes to teach her students.

“Not to take things too seriously and have fun with whatever you do in life,” says Chandler.

Some of Chandler’s students don’t believe she’ll retire after this year. After all, she did say that last year.