In classroom A108 at CHS9, Spanish teacher Judy Garrett sits inside, singing the irregular Spanish commands to the tune of “London Bridge” as her students laugh and sing along with her.
Her classroom environment is one of the many lasting impacts she has made on her students, and why she is so widely appreciated across campus.
Garrett announced her retirement following the 2024-25 school year after teaching for 36 years, 16 years in Ballinger, Texas and 20 years in Coppell.
“I’m sad about it because I absolutely love this job,” Garrett said. “I have fun everyday, but I’m tired and I felt like it was time.”
Principal Dr. Greg Axelson praises Garrett on her ability to cooperate with both students and fellow faculty members.
“She has a fantastic sense of humor and she is always joking with fellow teachers,” Dr. Axelson said. “I’ve been impressed with just how much she knows about being a teacher, managing your classroom and dealing with students when they make mistakes.”
Garrett was inspired by her parents’ hardships in pursuing education. Her mom was only able to make it to the seventh grade, and her dad was only able to make it to the third grade.
“My mother always told me to get an education so I could take care of myself,” Garrett said. “I admired her deeply.”
The independence gained from her childhood has become an integral part of how Garrett runs her classroom, making sure every student knows the value of an education and their autonomy.
“I have learned to not be dependent on anyone else, especially financially,” Garrett said. “It’s important, especially for women, to be able to take care of yourself.”
At Union University in Jackson, Tenn., Garrett decided to pursue a career teaching Spanish by the influence of her own Spanish professor, Elizabeth Ethridge, and realizing the power of being able to speak more than one language.
“I loved my Spanish teacher, and she impacted my life so much that I decided to study Spanish,” Garrett said. “It may be hard at first, to learn a new language, but I hope my students enjoy it because in today’s society, it’s even more important to speak another language.”
Freshman Kashvi Shah appreciates Garrett’s humor and willingness to provide wisdom. She has learned Spanish coupled with life lessons in Garrett’s classroom.
“She’s always so relatable with us,” Shah said. “She doesn’t just impart her wisdom, she shows us she actually understands our situations.”
Garrett appreciates the diversity and collaboration of everyone in Coppell, no matter where they come from. She enjoys collaborating with and learning about students from a different background.
“Being from a small town in West Texas, there wasn’t a lot of cultural diversity,” Garrett said. “When I first came to Coppell, we had kids of so many different backgrounds, and I loved it.”
Having taught through the COVID-19 pandemic, Garrett thinks the biggest change to education today is technology, especially the shift from handwritten notes and assignments to digital mediums. Regardless of her struggles with technology, Garrett admires the changes it has made in her classroom.
“The world has gotten a lot smaller, and technology has definitely made teaching somewhat easier,” Garrett said. “We just have to find what works for each individual in the classroom, whether that be a pen and paper or an iPad.”
Garrett hopes after she leaves CHS9, other teachers in the LOTE department will carry on her legacy of appealing to the artistic side of students as well as teaching different cultures.
“I don’t think we showcase enough of the artistic creativity students have,” Garrett said. “I also hope that people will still teach students about the cultural aspects of learning a language because it is so important.”
Though she is retiring, Garrett is not bidding farewell to education just yet; she has plans to become a substitute teacher next year.
“I love it too much to leave, so I plan to sub next year,” Garrett said. “My story in education is not over yet.”
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