The first-period bell brings Murrah High School sophomores to Andrew Garner’s classroom. The Algebra I teacher greets them at the door for the first time this semester. His red shirt sports an image of a right angle and the words, “I am always right.”; students call him “corny.” He embraces this feedback as he introduces himself to the group.
“I’m excited to teach y’all this year,” he told the students. “You have to pass my class to graduate. I’m excited to be that gateway for your graduation. That means we work together.”
Garner, a third-year teacher, is a member of the Mississippi Teacher Corps. He joined the alternate-route program after he spent a year in the classroom and realized that he loved it.
“Before I started at Murrah, I did not want to be a teacher,” Garner told the Mississippi Free Press. “That was the last thing I wanted to do. I kind of switched up at the last minute and just started trying something; I fell in love with it. I’m kind of stuck, and I love being stuck with this profession.”
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