A Teacher with a Story to Tell

Franklin High School welcomed a new math teacher this year, but Mr. Dennis James brings decades of teaching and life experience with him.

Before coming to Franklin, Mr. James had what he describes as “a varying career.” Right after high school, “[he] was a newspaper reporter in North Alabama.” After that, he joined the military and “was in the Air Force for six years.” His career continued in education, where he worked in multiple roles, including as a teacher, a principal, and even an assistant superintendent.

Even after retiring, he didn’t stay away from education for long, which he said wasn’t really the plan.

“I kept seeing that they were looking for math teachers,” he said. “I was brought up that if you have the ability to help, you’re supposed to help.” And that mindset is exactly what brought him back into the classroom at FHS.

“Teaching kind of was always in my heart, I just like the idea of helping others, and it always just seemed like a natural way to do it,” said Mr. James.

At Franklin High, his favorite part isn’t the classroom or the subject.

“My favorite thing about anything is always the people,” said Mr. James. “Franklin High School [is] all about primarily the students.”

Outside of school, Mr. James has a passion for traveling. He and his wife, Mary Pat, have gone on major adventures around the world, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and hiking to the Mount Everest Base Camp.

He explained their travel-focused mindset by saying, “We invest in memories,” instead of material things.

One of his favorite trips was walking across Spain on the Camino de Santiago, which took 50 days. Through traveling, he believes people can learn a lot about others.

“You see that people aren’t that different,” said Mr. James. “I think there would be a lot less conflict in the world if everybody knew a little bit about others.”

Even with all his experiences, Mr. James still values learning from students.

“Every individual knows something I don’t know,” he said. He encourages students to branch out and connect with others, adding that “everybody in this building is important.”

After years of different careers, Mr. James says his favorite has always been working in education.

“Where else do you get to interact and meet that many people?” he said.

With his unique background and positive outlook, Mr. James is excited to make an impact on Franklin High school.

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