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EDITOR’S NOTE: The LaGrange Daily News is doing a Q&A with all of the teachers of the year in the Troup County School System. Today, we are writing about Serenity Graham, who instructs Audio Visual & Film Media at Callaway High School. We asked her 20 questions, and we shortened this interview to some of our favorite responses.

Graham has worked in education for 24 years, all with the Troup County School System. She has been at Callaway High for the last two and a half years. 

Serenity is married to Matthew Graham, Director of Greenpower in TCSS, and works at Long Cane Middle School. They have three children,  Gracie Graham (2020 graduate of LaGrange High and Rebel Sales Ambassador/Designer), Walker Graham (2023 graduate of Troup High and manager at Karvellas) and Piper Graham (Long Cane Middle – Class of 2030).

Graham is the head coach for competition and football cheer coach at Callaway. 

“I love coaching. It is a passion of mine, and has been since I started at the age of 18. The field of education in general is the most rewarding job one could ever have and is something that I truly value. I love being with kids and high school has stolen my heart. I love big school spirit, games and building relationships. Being a teacher is a huge job, but coaching is right there with it. The impact that my coaches had on me was huge and I really try to be that coach for every kid whose life I get to be a part of,” Graham said.

Graham is also involved with Camp Viola, spending the last 24 summers there. 

“My kids have grown up out there and it means a lot to my family. My favorite part of camp is spending time with students that I have gotten to teach in a different setting. The hot days on the rec field playing some killer kickball games and spreading God’s word are some of the very best summer memories. Being a part of camp and creating memories with kids that have been students and future students is the absolute best,” she said.

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

“I was blessed to have so many influential teachers in my life as I worked through school! In 2nd grade, I had a teacher, Mrs. Gagnon. She was my math teacher (this is a subject I always struggled with). Mrs. Gagnon never got frustrated with me. She always took time to sit next to me and help me. I can still hear her words in my head today, ‘You’ll get this, the light will click Serenity, keep working.’ Her patience, and ability to just be that person for me made me want to be that kind of teacher for kids I teach. I have always wanted to be a teacher. I won a Tropicana speech contest on this topic in elementary school (my mom still has this speech). My parents made me a school room in the house I grew up in, and I would play school all the time with my friends! Being an educator is the best job, I tell people this all the time and I truly mean it.”

What are your career aspirations? 

“My career aspirations are pretty simple. I live by Colossians 3:23, ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart.’ I want my students to know that I am genuinely here at school everyday because I LOVE what I do and that I will put in work to be the best I can be on a daily basis for them. I want to look back over my career and know that I gave the best I could all the time and that kids enjoyed being in my room.”

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

“I really do not know what I would do if I was not a teacher… This is truly what I have always wanted to do.”

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

“Music… I love good music. Start a song and I guarantee I can finish the lyrics. Also, I can still do a back handspring… I did one just a couple weeks ago.”

What fictional character (from a book, movie, TV show, etc.) represents your teaching style?

“Dangerous Minds, the teacher is LouAnne Johnson, played by Michelle Pfeiffer: This movie is me…. My students know that from the time you enter my room, you are forever part of what I call ‘The Graham Fam.’”

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

“When I taught 5th grade, I always started the year reading a book called, Lost on a Mountain in Maine. This book is a true story and it took place in one of the towns I grew up in. The author was Don Fendler. One year, I got him to actually call me and my students loved asking him some questions! It was awesome! To this day, I have students that will reach out to me from time to time about this book. Another really awesome project that I take a lot of pride in with my students is revamping the audio and visual pathway at Callaway High School. Creating Callaway Media, CAV10News and allowing kids to bring our school closer through a student broadcast makes this one of the most unique projects that is continued every week.”

What’s the most rewarding part about your job? 

“I love seeing former students that have just absolutely made it in life. I love getting those big hugs, a message, or even occasionally a pop in from former students. Knowing that they made it makes me more proud than most will ever know.”

What’s the most challenging part of your job? 

“I would say that the most challenging part of my job is that educators wear many hats! We are coaches, teachers, moms, counselors, life coaches and sometimes doctors (haha). However, when you sign up to be an educator this is part of it. You have to love your job, kids and you have to be willing to put time into what a student may need. Sometimes, I carry the weight of worry. When I know I have a student going through a tough time, it is so hard for me to turn that off. I am a fixer and I struggle with not being able to always fix things that I wish I could.”

What’s the most unusual excuse a student has given you for not completing their homework?

“I don’t really remember a time that I got an unusual excuse for homework, but I did have a student that sent a hilarious text from my phone to his dad. It was football game day at LCMS and one of my students really wanted to stay for the game. This student asked if I would text his dad for permission and then print it out. I was about to start class so I looked up the dad’s cell number on Infinite Campus and sent the text. I sat my phone near the student and told him to let me know when dad answered. Well, in the middle of my lesson, this student yelled out that his dad said he could stay. I opened up my phone and handed it back to the student and told him to thank his dad so I could continue teaching. Well, without me knowing, this student texted, ‘Thank you so much for letting ***** stay after for the game. He is an excellent student, and has been turning in all of his work. He really deserves it.’ I did not know this was sent until later in the day when the parent responded, ‘I am so proud of him, I wish he was doing this in all classes…’”

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

“I really try every day to be the best I can be, keep a positive attitude and support my colleagues in anything that they’re involved in or need. To even be on the list of teachers that were nominated was an incredible feeling because we have FABULOUS teachers here are Callaway High School. It was an emotional day for me because my family was at school when the announcement was made and it means more to me than I could put into words.”

On a weekend or a summer day when school is out, what are your favorite activities?

“I love getting up early and working out, I love being by the pool and relaxing, I LOVE SPENDING TIME WITH MY FAMILY, but believe it or not….. I love getting to come to Callaway for summer practices. I love hearing the whistles on the football field, I love hearing the band practicing, I love that the parking lot is always full of cars with sports teams conditioning and I love spending time with my own team… and the beach. I love the beach.”

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 preach Colossians 3:23 to all of my students and I tell them that whatever they do in life, they always need to make sure they are doing it at 100% and with all of their heart. I also on a daily basis remind my students that there are enough problem identifiers in the world, to be a problem solver. It is my hope that every student who leaves my room feels encouraged to live by these lyrics ‘Do what you love, cause you only get one life. Don’t live with what-ifs, you only get a couple of trips around the sun, so do what you love.’ AND….. You can always come home to my room! Education is the very best.”