Math teacher Forrest Spillman sums up what makes a great school year
By Carla Slavey
The students today going through Somerset High School teacher Forrest Spillman ’ s mathematics classes weren ’ t alive when he first started teaching 23 years ago .
As such , they may be confused by some of the technology he talks about when telling the story of how he was hired .
“ I had a pager – this was the year 2000 and not everybody had cell phones – and all of a sudden a “ 679 ” number shows up ,” Spillman laughs . “ Then , I used a calling card to use a pay phone to call the number that was paging me . … The person answered , ‘ This is Somerset High School .’ And I ’ m thinking , ‘ What in the world ? I haven ’ t had any dealings with these people in four years .’”
Spillman was a 1996 graduate of SHS , had spent two years at Somerset Community College , and had just finished up his bachelors in math at the University of Kentucky . Although his plans were to become a teacher , Spillman explained that he was supposed to go back to UK for at least one more year to actually get his teaching certification .
But here he was , living in Lexington , getting ready to go to a Cincinnati Reds game with some friends , getting paged by his old alma mater .
“ I told the person who I was , and they said , ‘ Hold on one second , we have someone who wants to talk with you .’ And moments later , [ former SHS Principal ] Tommy Floyd gets on the phone , and he says , ‘ The students of Somerset High School need you to come teach them math next Wednesday .’”
It was a Thursday afternoon , and Spillman said he asked to think about the offer . He then went to the Reds game and spent most of his time focused more on the opportunity than the game .
By Friday , he had made his decision , and on Saturday he started moving out of his Lexington apartment , Somerset-bound .
He had never even gone through student teaching , he said , and his very first time in front of students was that Wednesday teaching his first class .
He taught a whole semester before enrolling for an alternative certification program through Union College .
August 2023 SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky • 15