Tenn. commissioner of education makes visit

State Commissioner of Education Dr. Timothy K. Webb salutes local educators in an inservice on Friday in the Dyersburg High School Little Theater. [Click to enlarge]

While holding the highest position in the Tennessee Department of Education may warrant such respect, there is no doubt the reaction of local teachers came from the message within Webb's speech. A message that showed the heart of a true educator, respectful son and loving husband.

"I've had some tremendous opportunities in my life," said Webb, who recounted 20 years of military service and leadership positions within the armed forces. "I've had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest minds (in the country,) but some of the most valuable lessons I've learned came from two people who didn't even hold a high school diploma or GED - Clyde and Elsie Webb of Ponderosa Drive, in Hole in the Wall, Tennessee."

Webb shared the 11 essential lessons taught to him by his parents, his grandmother and his late wife, Melanie, who he just lost to cancer. He applied those lessons to the classroom and the teaching profession, a job he stressed is the most important in the country.

"I believe if you apply these lessons to your life, you can handle anything we throw at you from the state or federal level," said Webb.

1. You cannot make things up at the funeral home

"Treat every child like he or she were your own and every parent like they were your family," said Webb, who shared the great bond he shared with one of his students and the experience of delivering the eulogy at that student's funeral after his life turned in a destructive direction and ended in violence.

"You can't make things up at the funeral home," said Webb, who said his focus in the eulogy was to remember the respect and love between an educator and his student. "That was hard, but I did it with respect and pride."

2. Son, All I've got to give you is a good name. Don't mess it up.

"You work in two of the greatest school systems in this state and in this nation," said Webb. "You've got a great name. Don't mess it up and don't take it for granted."

3. Your family is your most important resource

"I'm not just talking about those precious people you go home to," said Webb. "This family and your family at home. Lean on each other. Prop each other up."

4. You measure success by leaving the world better than you found it

"Everything can't be measured by Adequate Yearly Progress or No Child Left Behind," said Webb. "How many hugs did you receive today? How many dreams (did you nourish)? How much hope did you instill today? Those area the numbers that matter."

5. Raising a garden takes a whole lot of hard work, but it sure is worth it by the end of the day

"Have you ever used a push plow? We had a push plow," said Webb. "We didn't have a tiller. We had a garden hoe. I had a garden hoe. I learned from my father, a whole lot of work goes into a garden. A whole lot of attention to detail. Educating children is a whole lot like raising a garden. A lot of attention to detail. You've got to keep the rows straight."

6. People can tell a whole lot about you, son, by the way you hang your clothes on the clothesline.

This lesson came from Webb's mother after he hung out clothes for the first time. His mother sent him back out to hang the clothes straight and in an orderly fashion.

"Organization shows something about you," said Webb. "If you have everything just right for your students, that shows them something about you."

7. You can't paint with a dry brush. To do it right, sometimes you gotta sling some paint.

"Sometimes you've got to get paint on the brush. Sometimes, you might have to make a mess to do the job," said Webb, who said his father asked him one day to paint the porch swing and then scolded him for painting with a dry brush. "I was a smart-aleck 16-year-old. I held that paintbrush up and said, 'Do you want to do it?' This is one of the toughest lessons I've learned because it hurt. It physically hurt."

8. Cut the grass to the outside

"This is also a valuable lesson I learned from my father," said Webb. "If you throw the grass to the inside, you are just cutting the same grass over and over. Cut the grass to the outside and get it out of the way."

9. Pray

"I may get in trouble for this one," said Webb. "But pray every day and always bless your food. The job you do, where the rubber meets the road is the most important job in the country. It's too important to do alone. At least look up and say, 'Give me what I need,' as you walk into school. You are the hope of the babies of Dyer County. Even the 18-year-old babies. ... From pre-K to high-schoolers, you are the keepers of the dream."

10. If we don't get snake-bit, drown or something bad don't happen, things will be OK.

"This one came from my grandmother. When my mother would pace around, wondering if we were OK, my grandmother would say, 'Elsie, If they don't get snake-bit, drown or something bad don't happen, things will be OK,'" said Webb. "NCLB, AYP, IDEA, AEP, TEP ... all these things are going to come and go. If you keep your compass in the right direction and apply these lessons, you are going to succeed."

11. Love your family and don't take them for granted

"Spend some time with the people you love," said Webb. "Say a word to someone who looks up to you. Give a warm hug to the one next to you. Say 'I love you' to your partner. And mean it. Believe me, I wish I could."

Webb's message brought the teachers that filled Dyersburg High School Little Theater to their feet.

"(I shared with you) things that are precious to me because they were taught to me by three people, Clyde and Elsie Webb and Melanie Webb, who left my side on Aug. 10," said Webb. "On behalf of the governor, I thank you for what you do every day."