Gratitude Tour: Sheila Ray Cooper

Sheila Ray Cooper and I met in the first grade at Giffin Elementary School in South Knoxville, TN.  She was Sheila Ray in those days and was one of a handful of friends with whom I attended school from 1962 to 1975.  I admired her friendliness most of all.  Even though she toppled me every single time in spelling bees and took home multiple academic awards in junior high and especially during our senior year of high school, she remained always humble.  

After my emotional visit with Shirley Underwood, I knew I was in for a treat as I met Sheila and another classmate Bob O’Connor at the same Panera Bread later in the afternoon of Sunday, July 25, 2025.  Once again, my notion to symbolically show my appreciation for Sheila’s and Bob’s teaching careers didn’t go as planned.  They both requested sweet tea, which I gladly was willing to pay for, but, alas, the kind lady at the counter told me I could just have the sweet tea so it was really the Panera Bread employee who deserves the credit for showing appreciation. 

Sheila wanted to be a teacher since she began beating me in those spelling bees in the first grade.  She refers to her early interest as a “God-thing.”  In high school, she drew further inspiration from English teacher Ms. Debbie Coram and journalism teacher Ms. Molly Thomas.  I remember both of them, too, as caring, enthusiastic teachers.  

Sheila earned her Bachelor of Science in English with a minor in journalism from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She then taught English and journalism at Gibbs High School in Knox County, TN, for 30 years.  One afternoon a couple of Kenny Chesney fans dropped by the school office, wanting to see where Kenny had gone to high school. The school secretary introduced them to Sheila, who happened to be in the office, because Sheila had been Kenny’s freshman English teacher. The enthusiastic fans asked questions about the country music star, and, with a straight face, she told the wide-eyed fans that young Kenny had drafted the words to “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” during one of her creative writing lessons.  They thought she was serious and began grilling her for more details.  She ultimately told them that she had enjoyed teaching Kenny, but she was only joking about the song.

I’ve had opportunities to meet Sheila’s husband James a few times over the years at class reunions.  He’s every bit as humble and gracious as is Sheila.  It’s no wonder their marriage of thirty-eight years is still going strong.  Sheila, James and their son Greg enjoy running together.  In fact, Sheila and her family had just the day before run the Crazy 8s Race in Kingsport, TN, an event they’ve enjoyed for many years.

 After Sheila retired from the Knox County Schools in 2012, she taught English for two more years at River’s Edge Christian Academy in Knoxville. She then tutored at River’s Edge for five more years before fully retiring from teaching when the COVID pandemic hit.  She gave thirty-seven years to teaching.  

I remember Sheila’s love of storytelling from our high school days, and one of her joys was fostering a love for literature among her students.  Her true spark, though, the reason she stayed in the profession for thirty-seven years, was the reward of developing close relationships with young people thirsting for understanding as much as for knowledge.  “The feedback they would give me, the encouraging notes along the way, there’s not a better feeling than knowing I was a part of so many students’ educational journeys.  On those days when I felt a bit discouraged, the students picked me up and reminded me I was doing something that really mattered to the world.”   

As she pondered whom she would visit on her own gratitude tour, she once again mentioned teachers Debbie Coram and Molly Thomas.  They had been excellent role models.  During her career, though, one person stood out above all the others.  Jim Pryor, principal at Gibbs High School from 1999 to 2004, was the best administrator for whom she ever worked as he inspired her every day to bring her “A game” and her own ways of doing things to the classroom.  

It’s a testimony to how much Sheila cared about her students that her regrets have to do with not being as encouraging as she might have been to some of her more challenging students throughout the years.  Though she knows she had a positive influence on them, in hindsight she wishes she’d been more patient and understanding of their struggles.  This is a regret to which I can relate very well.  You see, Sheila had always been a high achiever.  She had found success in the classroom, in athletics, in her married life and as a mother.  I suspect that she, like me, has perfectionist tendencies.  Teachers with such tendencies need to give themselves a break.  Sheila had a remarkable impact on countless students throughout her career but tends to recall only those few times she came up short.  Any educator who has ever taught for any length of time can point to interactions with students that they wish had gone better.  But, my goodness, we are human.  And Sheila is one of the most caring human beings I’ve ever known.

Sheila became a leader among her peers while at Gibbs.  In the first year that Tennessee instituted the Teacher Evaluation Acceleration Program, she was selected one of three lead teachers in her school.  This role gave her a chance to help others improve their teaching and the holistic ways they should be evaluating their students.  

As she looks at the challenges facing education today, she sees young, talented teachers leaving the profession for various reasons.  “One of those reasons is that young teachers feel under-appreciated. Effective principals such as Jim Pryor, who didn’t micro-manage but rather inspired his teachers to be creative in their approaches to reaching young people, are becoming harder to find.  State-mandated exams add to the lack of independence that young teachers face today.”    

As Sheila shared her career with Bob and me, she teared up a few times.  Being an effective teacher really mattered to her.  Having the freedom to do it her way really mattered to her.  Over the years, I’ve seen comment after comment in social media from her adoring students.  They have written about her kindness most of all.  As I think all the way back to 1962 and consider her dedication to teaching, sweet tea is the perfect representation of Sheila as a friend and educator.

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