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This year, the Association of Independent Schools of Alabama’s SGA awarded Tom Garrett, a Chambers Academy American Government and History teacher, as their Teacher of the Year. With 56 years of teaching and coaching under his belt, Garrett has served the students of Chambers Academy both in the classroom and on the field as a defense line coach. He has been with CA for the past 12 years and hopes to complete his career there. 

Garrett is married to Amy Garrett and they are members of Fraser Church. They share two adult children with her, Tommy and Christy. They hail from Phenix City and Troy, Alabama. Garrett’s father left behind a legacy of teaching and coaching at Central High School that inspired his son of the same name. 

What inspired you to become an educator? (Or who?) 

“[Tom Garrett Sr. was] an outstanding man, outstanding coach. And of course, I knew exactly what I wanted to be and spend my life doing, coaching football and working in education. And I’ve always enjoyed history and teaching history.”

If you weren’t a teacher, what career field would you be in? 

“I can’t imagine any other field. I really never wanted to be in any other field other than teaching and coaching. It’s so much enjoyment to see kids learn and grow up, and I’ve taught long enough that a lot of my kids I’ve taught their kids at certain schools. So it’s just a great field to be in to see people grow and learn and and go forward in their life.”

What hidden talent do you have that might surprise your students and our readers? 

“At one time, I was very good at golf. I play golf all the time. I played golf at Troy State University. I played golf at Chipola junior college before I went to Troy State.”

What’s the most creative/unique project one of your classes has worked on?

“Study of Lincoln assassination I came about, and all the people involved, and how it was really one of the first real conspiracy, and they were a lot more people involved than just John wills booth. We study there very hard so they can understand the loss of Lincoln was the worst thing that could have happened to the south. Because reconstruction was awful. It brought about all the bitterness that even we seem to have today.

If you could invite any historical figure to speak to your class, who would you choose and why? 

“Robert E Lee. Because he was a great man, what he did for the South and the Civil War, how he conducted himself after we were defeated by the Yankee nation, as I call it, and how he never talked about the loss of the war. He went forward. I would love to be able to invite General Lee to come in and just talk about life in general and how he approached it.”

What’s the most rewarding part about your job? 

“Seeing my kids, when that light goes on, and they want more. They want to learn more about what you’re teaching, and we try to stay on topic. And I teach like a pirate. That’s what I teach like. It’s called seize the moment, and if that light’s going on, let’s talk about it. Let’s learn about it. Let’s do it.”

What did it mean to you to be named your school’s teacher of the year? 

“To be recognized by your peers is very, very humbling. And they teach of the Year by the SGA, by the Aisa. Is a tremendous honor, and I appreciate it greatly, and we’ll honor it.

As your students transition to the next grade or graduate in May, what is one key takeaway you hope they carry forward from their time in your class?

“I hope they take away from it having learned a lot about history, so that they will still pursue it as they move through [and] will go to some of these places and visit that we talked about.”