NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Barbara Talley has spent nearly 50 years in the classroom, and her sixth-grade students at Donelson Middle School know exactly what that means — Pop Tarts, lollipops, and a teacher they will never forget.
Talley is retiring at the end of the school year, closing a career that began in places most educators never see.
"I started teaching at the women's prison," Talley said. "And I've taught at psychiatric hospitals, alternative schools, and then I came over to Metro."
That path, she said, gave her something no traditional classroom could: empathy.
"You've said it in a nutshell," Talley said. "Yes. Most definitely. And you cannot put a price tag on that. You cannot. So I consider myself really, really, really truly fortunate to have had that experience prior to coming to Metro."
In her classroom, Talley is known for handing out treats to students who work hard — and for something that matters even more.
"Just a hug! So I'm known for hugging," Talley said.
Even as she steps away from the daily routine of teaching, Talley said she is not walking away from kids entirely.
"Well I'm going to be back, I'm going to be back working with kids in some kind of way," she said. "Not so much as the teaching role, but I'll be in somebody's room working with children somewhere!"
For her students, the lollipops are easy to remember. But those who have passed through her classroom say it is the care — not the candy — that stays with them.
"Whatever their needs are – being able to meet them," Talley said.
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