Lynda Smallen teaches science and math to fourth graders, she calls her angles, at Batesburg-Leesville Elementary School. Smallen will retire at the end of the year after 35 years as a teacher. Here she collects papers from students, Sheryl Smith and Rameisha Chatman.
There is a quote hanging in fourth-grade teacher Lynda Smallen’s classroom that she adopted during her college days.
It says: “You may be just one person in the world but you may be the world to one person.”
The Batesburg-Leesville Elementary teacher will retire at the end of this school year, leaving behind a 35-year career but taking with her thousands of memories.
And that quote.
“I can apply this wherever I go,” she said. “Where God carries me I can certainly be of help to one person.”
This summer, Smallen is moving to Myrtle Beach where her husband, Gary, is a coach for Coastal Carolina University.
At the beginning of her retirement, Smallen plans to learn Spanish and expand her cooking repertoire beyond spaghetti.
But it won’t be long before the math and science teacher said she’ll need something to fill the gap left by teaching.
Smallen said she always knew education was her calling.
She and her sister, Batesburg-Leesville Primary principal Tonya Watson, grew up watching their five aunts who were teachers.
Smallen said she never doubted that she’d follow in their footsteps.
It was her own early teaching experiences that sealed the deal.
“When (you teach), you see the switch flip and the light come on — that is really addicting.”
Principal Darlene Stephens said the school will miss having Smallen in the classroom.
She said Smallen creates lessons for students that get them out of their seats and engaged in activities.
“I think today’s students have so much influencing them with the media, movies and video games,” Stephens said. “They’re very active.”
For example, in past Octobers, Stephens said Smallen brought in a pumpkin and students measured the circumference and counted the seeds.
“She’s always praising students and trying to make learning fun,” she said. “We’re really going to miss her positive approach to learning.”
Smallen said her time in the classroom has made her the teacher she is, mainly because of what she learned.
“A year in a classroom is worth a master’s degree,” she said. “You learn how to deal with parents. you learn how to deal with students who lose a parent.”
Although Smallen said she’s had some rough lessons, her students over the years have taught her a lot about love.
“I’ve learned how they can be so easily forgiving.
“They want you to be fair and they want you to love them unconditionally.”
Reach Copeland at (803) 771-8485.
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