Little girl makes big difference to Smith
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“I collect teapots of any kind, whether old or new, cheap or expensive,” says the fourth-grade teacher. “So far I have around 30 or so, and I like them all. There isn’t one I’ve seen that I would turn down.”
Smith has been at Hickory Creek for five years, and although she loves teaching, it wasn’t her first choice.
“My sister, Mendie Craven (who is now a nurse), actually wanted to become a teacher, and I had planned on becoming a nurse,” said Smith. “I guess you could say we traded places.”
It was a little girl who changed the direction of Smith’s career. “I was a nurse’s aide for two years, and during that time I worked with this sweet, little 6-year-old girl, Toscha, who had hypoglycemia,” she recalls. “She couldn’t walk, but with my help she learned to crawl. I was amazed, and all I wanted to do after that was teach. I saw how important it was to help children learn, and I wanted to be the one to help them.”
Allison Chilton is a student in Smith’s class. She says her teacher is, “really, really, really nice. I didn’t really like to read before, but now I have 100 points and I love to read. If there is a question in class that is too hard, she takes the time to break it down in steps so we can understand it.”
Allison’s mother, Anna Smedley, says Smith is a wonderful teacher. “She is one of those teachers who makes the students want to learn. I can’t even begin to say enough things about her.”
Smith says her favorite part of teaching is working with the children every day. The only thing she doesn’t like about her job is the bulletin board. “I don’t dislike anything else about teaching, but I really can’t stand bulletin boards,” she laughs.
Smith grew up in McMinnville and graduated from MTSU in 1997. Her, husband, Jeff, and their 4-year-old daughter, Marlee, are very active at the church they attend, Long Mountain Baptist Church.
Deanna says her advice for new teachers would be to, “listen to the children, listen to everything they have to say. They do have a viewpoint. If you let them have a say in things, it will go a lot smoother.”
I guess you could say teaching is just her cup of tea.