Retiring Teacher Keeps in Touch With Education

By Paul Boone Special to Germantown Appeal

How many lives does a teacher touch in a career?

Veteran educator Sharon Boone of Germantown calculated the number at more than 700 during her 34 years with the Shelby County Schools.

Since arriving in Memphis in 1971, she has provided an education and services for students as a teacher assistant, a classroom teacher for 32 years, and indirectly, as a member of numerous curriculum-writing teams.

Sharon credited her work ethic to her mother’s words and examples:

“Always do your best.”

“Give more than a day’s work for a day’s pay.”

“You can accomplish anything if you work hard enough.”

As a teacher, she attributes her success in the education of students and her high expectations for them to her first principal, Ira Wells of E.A. Harrold Elementary School in Millington. Success was expected with the motto, “If it can be done, it can be done at Harrold.”

Taking courses, attending workshops and embracing the new technology enabled Sharon to bring the newest techniques and innovative methods to students and teachers.

As computers came to Shelby County Schools and the learning opportunities for teachers and their teaching methods changed, Sharo took advantage of the new technology, attending 500 hours of training, providing in-service sessions for colleagues, creating materials for use by teachers and students, and implementing activities into the curriculum to excite, involve and challenge students.

Although she retired this summer, Sharon has continued to use her skills. She volunteered in the school office during registration and supervised administration of the Accelerated Reader Star Reading Test to all students at Dogwood Elementary School in Germantown.

Paul Boone is the husband of Sharon Boone. They’ve been married 42 years.