Educator of the Week: Tracey Forester

It’s time now to recognize this week’s Educator of the Week, brought to you by the Tennessee Education Lottery.

Tracey Forester is a first grade teacher at East Hardin Elementary School.

She has been teaching for seventeen years, and has been in the Hardin County school for nine.

Forester credits the teachers she had growing up as the inspiration behind her career choice.

“I had teachers who loved me, wanted the best for me and taught me how to read,” Forester said. “Wanted me to be a great successful person and just poured into me, and that’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

For her own students, Forester shared this main goal.

“Number one, more than anything, I hope my students always know that they are loved, that they are taken care of while they’re here at school, they have a safe place with me, that I love them and want the best for them, and then I just want them to be successful,” she said.

Forester shared that her favorite part of teaching is helping her students learn how to read. Forester enjoys when the moment her boys and girls realize that they have just unlocked a whole world full of pages that they can read.

For any future educators, Forester encourages perseverance.

“One thing I would love to say to young teachers just starting out is don’t give up. There’s gonna be some rough days. There’s gonna be some rough weeks. But the blessing of seeing boys and girls be successful and learn, when they love when they can read a book on their own, those days make it all worth it.”

Forester is now eligible for the Tennessee Education Lottery Educator of the Month award.

To vote for her or any other nominees, go to the Tennessee Education Lottery website.

To nominate an educator for our Educator of the Week award, email us at [email protected].