Medlin’s Return

Mrs. Medlin, a long-time teacher at Cabot High School, is retiring this year. Since 1987, Medlin has given her forefront of knowledge to the English department and her students and has changed the lives of many. For 35 years, she has dedicated her life to being with students and guiding them to successful futures, and in hopes that one day she will see those futures flourish. 

When talking about what makes the job worth it, what makes being a teacher worth it: 

 “Having my students go beyond High School to have successful careers, and having them send me evidence of what they are doing in the world makes me so proud of them. Seeing them marry and establish families of their own. Seeing my students get that lightbulb in their brain when they realize they can fix this issue and make it better and just come alive with that.

When Medlin first started teaching here, the only other job she had was raising her three kids. She had learned the ropes in the English department from two other early teachers.

“I had a teacher, Mrs. Sharon Rodgers, who used to be here at this school. She took me under her wing when I came. But I also had a Mrs. Shirly Norman, who taught the same class that I did. And she really helped me learn structure to my class,” Medlin added.

What motivated Medlin to become a teacher was to make a difference in the lives of students. 

 “I wanted to make a difference in students’ lives”, she added. “I wanted to be around students because they keep you young.”

But, even with a job you love, there can be low points. With Medlin, it had mostly to do with this year. The main cause of the problem had been her back.

 “I woke up, August 10th, and I could not get out of bed. My legs would not work. I live in a third-floor apartment, and we even had to call an ambulance to come to get me because I couldn’t walk. I remained that way for about two months. Finally, I started to use my legs again after eight weeks of therapy. Lots of doctor’s appointments.”

With the back, problems came less time with her students. And with the pandemic still being as relevant as ever, Medlin had to not only adapt to newfound pain, but with her methods of teaching.

“With all the state changes in the way teachers teach, the curriculum they teach; anyone in this field has probably rethought staying in it because the pressure is intense. Especially right now.” 

At the end of this year, CHS will say farewell to a well-loved colleague, and friend.