Jerri Brantley never gave up the dream of being a teacher.
After all, she was in second grade when she realized she wanted to be in front of a classroom full of students. But that dream was put on hold when Brantley was in college.
“I got married real young and had a child,” Brantley said. “I dropped out of school to work full time to have insurance.”
But the dream of being a teacher was still there. Living in Tallassee after graduating from Wetumpka High School, Brantley’s children had started kindergarten. She was working as a bookkeeper and had the opportunity to go back to school.
Even after graduating, though, Brantley still had to wait to make her dreams a reality.
“When I graduated there wasn’t a teaching position open so I worked as an aide for a year and half,” Brantley said. “I hung on until I could get something.”
Brantley started her now 39-year long career in education in the old Tallassee Elementary School. Even as an aide, Brantley pulled together a group of students for reading for part of the school day. But there was no classroom.
“It was the foyer of what was the cafeteria,” Brantley said. “The kindergarten came through there and the bathrooms for the cafeteria were there as well. My first real class in the room was where you go to pay your water bill now.”
Teaching was much different back then. Not only were there no computers, there wasn’t even air conditioning for the first two years of Brantley’s teaching career.
“The first year I taught, there were 28 kids in the class,” Brantley said. “Now we have like 20. That eight kids makes a difference.”
Brantley made the transition from the old school in East Tallassee to the new building on Friendship Road.
“I remember when the new school was built and how exciting that was,” Brantley said. “We moved during Christmas. I remember taking the kids over there for the first time when the classrooms were empty. They were so excited about getting a new school.”
Brantley started her teaching career teaching second grade. She has also taught third grade on a few different occasions.
“I like second and third grade,” Brantley said. “First grade is a very difficult grade to teach.”
Brantley has spent nearly four decades in the classroom, all at Tallassee Elementary School. It is the first time she has been chosen as the school’s teacher of the year.
“I joked with my principal Mrs. Beacher it only took 39 years to get it,” Brantley said. “Usually you think after 39 years other teachers think you might be washed up.”
Brantley knows better. Young teachers pick her mind on how to handle students. They support one another. It was her co-workers who selected Brantley as teacher of the year.
“It means a lot to know it came from my peers that I teach with,” Brantley said. “I have the respect of peers that respect me as a veteran teacher.”
Brantley said her teaching career has also been made easier by the community.
“I love Tallassee,” Brantley said. “Even though I didn’t grow up here, I have felt this was home since I came here.”