TEACHER ★ By Laresa Watkins
Living the Novel
of a Lifetime
R alph Davis
I
n his life, Mr. Ralph Davis has lived
in many different places, led many
dif ferent roles, an d had many
different experiences. He has some very
interesting stories to tell, saying, “Everybody’s life is a novel, but there are only
some people who can sit and write.”
Mr. Davis was born and raised in Asheville, NC. After receiving his undergraduate degree from a seminary in Missouri, he
returned to North Carolina and began teaching in 1964. He spent 2 years teaching at
a private Catholic School before returning
to school at UNC-CH to earn his masters
degree. He then received his principal’s
certification from East Carolina University
and became principal at Wrightsville Beach
School in 1970. He worked in 6 different schools before his retirement in 1998.
things. However, he adds, “Sometimes I wish
I could teach 5 days, because I could do a
lot more, especially with science and math.”
Upon retirement, Mr. Davis and his wife
moved to Pittsboro to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Mr. Davis worked
in an after school program in Chapel Hill for
several years and was tiring of the commute,
when he saw an ad for a local preschool,
Pittsboro Baptist, that was looking for a
teacher. “I was a little reluctant,” he says,
“but I took the job there and I have been
there for eleven years teaching 4 year-olds.”
Mr. Davis approaches teaching from a
different viewpoint now that he has experienced education from the perspective of a
principal. “I really now appreciate the position of the teacher much more. I didn’t have
time to appreciate it before. Also, I really like
the environment that a church school brings.”
During his years in the education system,
Mr. Davis learned many different things. He
is a believer that teaching has to be an active
thing, with active involvement from students.
He also says, “I learned the necessity to empathize and try to understand where children
are coming from. To be gentle with them and
positive with them, but not to the point where
you overdo it.” Mr. Davis explains that when
he began teaching, he was given the advice
to “not smile until Thanksgiving.” However,
he now understands that “…you have to be
gentle from day one, but you have to be firm.”
Some may wonder why Mr. Davis
spends his retirement teaching. He explains,
“One of the things that people don’t realize
is that, as a school principal and as a teacher,
you don’t make your own schedule. Events
make your schedule. When you retire, it’s
like ‘Wow! I have to make my own plans.’
I have really enjoyed teaching, particularly
these last eleven years.” For the past 5 years
he has worked 2 days a week, so he does
have some time in his schedule to do other
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