Three Hamilton County teachers rolled up to The Chattanoogan hotel Friday in a white stretch limousine, honored guests for the day - and the year.
Joey Gaby, Linda McMurray and John Echols stepped out of the limousine and walked into the hotel for the Hamilton County Schools 2010 Teachers of the Year luncheon.
"You are helping to build the future of this community," Schools Superintendent Dr. Jim Scales told them. "Our future is on the backs of teachers."
Ms. Gaby, a science teacher at Tyner Academy, was selected among the county's high school educators.
She also is a candidate to be the teacher of the year for the state. Officials with the state Department of Education are expected to announce the winner before the end of the school year, said Hamilton County Schools spokeswoman Danielle Clark.
Ms. McMurray, a kindergarten teacher at Lakeside Academy, represents teachers for kindergarten through fourth grade, and Mr. Echols, who teaches language arts to sixth-graders at Chattanooga Center for Creative Arts, received the honor for middle school teachers.
"It's humbling that other people appreciate what you do. There are so many other good teachers out there doing what we do every day," Mr. Echols said.
Each of the teachers was nominated by educators at his or her school. Then a committee including teachers, principals and central office staff selected a teacher of the year for kindergarten through fourth grade, fifth grade through eighth and ninth through 12th.
Ray Barr, owner and president of United Service Associates of Athens, Tenn., has provided the limo ride and luncheon for the teachers for more then 20 years.
"Thank you for doing a good job and going beyond the call of duty," he told them Friday.
"These teachers represent the best and the brightest in our system," said Stacey Roddy, the school system's director of elementary math and science and coordinator of the event.
Ms. Gaby said there are days when she wants to throw up her hands and quit, but she's motivated by a desire to help others and an awareness that students are depending on her.
"I like helping kids discover something that they didn't know they could do," she said.
Ms. McMurray said she appreciates being a part of students' lives.
"I love children, just getting to know them is rewarding," she said.
And Mr. Echols said his goal is to help youngsters who have fallen in a hole academically or socially to get out again.
Some people publicize the problem, others form committees and do studies about it, he said, but he wants to directly pull the children out of their hole.
"I keep teaching because I have to pull people out," he said.
TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
Linda McMurray
* School: Lakeside Academy
* Experience: 28 years in education
* Grade/subject: Kindergarten
* Quote: "Academically I teach reading and math, but on a different level ... whatever happens for that day, I am that child's substitute parent. I take care of what they need."
John Echols
* School: Chattanooga Center for Creative Arts
* Experience: 10 years in education
* Grade/subject: Sixth-grade language arts
* Quote: "I love to see the light bulbs go on in children's heads when they understand something for the first time. That's an exciting moment for them and for me."
Joey Gaby
* School: Tyner Academy
* Experience: 17 years in education
* Grade/subject: Science
* Quote: "To see them from the beginning and see the growth they make along the way and to see that 'aha!' moment. It's really a neat experience to have walked them through the process and guided them along the way."