Have you ever felt like a piñata, and that everyone you meet is a stick? Or consider the opposite—have you ever felt like a stick and that everyone you meet is a piñata that needs the candy beaten out if it?

Every time I see a piñata I think of my sixth and seventh grade social studies teacher, Ann Crass. I think of Ms. Crass very often, especially during election years.

The textbook for our sixth grade social studies class, Living in the Old World, was published by Macmillan. The seventh grade had two textbooks, one from the Macmillan series titled Living in Our Country and Other Lands, the other The Story of Tennessee. I was sorely disappointed that Ms. Crass didn’t spend more time on the Tennessee history portion of the seventh grade curriculum, but I am glad that Ms. Crass was not one of those teachers who taught “straight by the book”, for the material in the Macmillan social studies series did not peak my interest to its highest level.

Ms. Crass’ love was politics. She would have been an excellent civics teacher, but she was a terrific social studies teacher. Ms. Crass taught the texts, but she also taught a lot from the Weekly Reader. I was lucky enough to be in Ms. Crass’ sixth grade social studies class during the 1976 presidential election. I was very vocal in my wish that Gerald Ford win, and many of my classmates (most of them, it seemed to me) were in favor of Jimmy Carter. I can think of three times since 1976 that I have been as much as or more disappointed than I was on the morning I got out of bed the day after the 1976 election and asked my Dad, “Who won president?” Dad didn’t say a word—he just pointed at Jimmy Carter on the television.

I remember one particular assignment Ms. Crass gave us in seventh grade. We were studying about how the State of Franklin was formed and how it eventually evolved into the State of Tennessee. Ms. Crass divided us into groups and gave each group the same assignment—the time was the late 1700s or early 1800s. We were to come up with a name, state flower, state tree, state bird, flag and constitution for our state.

For our group, I was the one chosen to read our constitution. It said, among other things, that anyone caught driving over 55 miles an hour would be put in jail. Ms. Crass, with her dry sense of humor, said something to the effect that she didn’t know horses and buggies went that fast. I’m ashamed to tell you, Faithful Reader, how long it was before I knew what in the world she was talking about.

I also remember in the seventh grade that Ms. Crass had State Representative James E. (Buzz) Elkins come as guest speaker to our class. There is a bridge in Anderson County named in Rep. Elkins’ honor, and every time I see the sign it reminds me of a dedicated elected official and the marvelous teacher who brought joy of the knowledge of how the state political system worked into the minds of students like me.

Ms. Crass took the best of the textbooks and taught them at just seemingly perfect times. She was teaching the countries of South America around Christmas time. From money I’m sure that Ms. Crass paid from her own pocket, she brought each of her seventh (and maybe sixth) grade classes a piñata. We each got to take turns whacking it with a stick until it broke and poured candy all over the floor. I’m sure Ms. Crass made sure that each one of us got our fair share of the candy.

I was not in Ms. Crass’ sixth grade homeroom. One of my friends once told me he wished I was in her homeroom with him. I asked him why, and he said, “I think you’d have had more fun.” Had it not been for Union County Superintendent of Schools Dwain G. Burke implementing departmentalized instruction (changing classes) at Maynardville Elementary when he took office in 1976, I would never have had the opportunity to have Ms. Crass as a teacher. And what a wonderful experience I would have missed. Not only did I get to have such a wonderful social studies teacher, I was blessed to have the best that five other teachers brought to their subjects as well. I wouldn’t trade the fine elementary education I received from experienced, legendary teachers in Union County for anything else this world can offer.

Sadly, there came a time that Ms. Crass’ body became a piñata, cancer being the stick that broke her. I was saddened to learn during my high school years that Ms. Crass passed away. I know that she continued teaching as long as she was physically able, even when she had to use a cane and have her lunch brought to her. It is sad to think of the many other students she could have filled with a love for our great country had she been able to teach longer. If every child in the United States could have consistently had a dedicated social studies teacher like Ann Crass, I think our country would be in better shape, that better decisions about who presided over our country would have been made.

Here’s a heartfelt thank you this Thanksgiving and Christmas season to all educators who work so hard in the face of overwhelming obstacles to ensure the best education for their students. Here’s a prayer that all students can take the best each of their teachers has to offer and become even greater citizens than the sum of all who taught them. God bless and protect our wonderful country.