Tennessee Education Lottery Educator of the Week: Belinda Anderson

HENDERSON, Tenn. — This week’s Educator of the Week presented by the Tennessee Education Lottery teaches in Chester County.

Belinda Anderson has spent seven of her 19 years of teaching at East Chester Elementary School.

“The most important things is making sure they achieve and then right after that — a close second — has to be that you give them that encouragement. Self confidence is so very important in order to be absolutely incredible in life,” Anderson said.

Anderson says her second grade teacher in Virginia filled her with encouragement and self confidence that inspired her to become an educator.

“I had a wonderful teacher named Barbara Frederick, and as I went from third, fourth and fifth grade, she let me come back to her classroom and grade papers and work with her,” Anderson said. “She took me home on Sundays after church and fed me lima beans and ketchup.”

Anderson said she tries to make every student feel important in her classroom just as Miss Barbara did for her.

“I had a young man in my classroom, he looked at me one day and turned around to the class. He said, ‘Can’t you look at her and see she’s a teacher with two and but she’s got one big heart!’ He made me realize that I can make a difference.”

Anderson will now be eligible for the statewide Tennessee Education Lottery Educator of the Month award. Starting in October, to vote for her or any of the other nominees, visit seehowitaddsup.com.

To nominate a teacher for our weekly award, email us at educator@wbbjtv.com with a brief description explaining why the honor is deserved.