Former Student Says "Thank You" After 40 Years

A former student is coming back, forty years later to say 'Thank You!' for turning my life around.

Walk into Dorothy McKeldin's classroom and you might get more than a Language Arts Lesson.

For forty-one years McKeldin has taught more than reading, writing, and grammer... She's taught her students to behave.

"It's our responsibility, it's everybody's responsibility to reach out to all of the children."-Dorothy McKeldin

Now one of the children she reached out to is reaching back.

"This teacher helped me get on the right road of life."-Jean Heard 

Forty years ago Jean Heard  was a student in Ms. McKeldin's class. She says she was constantly in trouble, and acting out and it was Ms. McKeldin who turned that around.

"She was the only teacher that cared enough to stop me."-Jean Heard 

With a few simple words and a lot of attention, Ms. McKeldin made Jean believe she could be anything she wanted to.

"She never let up. And not only me, there's some more out there."

It's that impact McKeldin set out to make... She's retiring at the end of this year and she says she's had a lot of fun at school, but it's been about helping kids be better people.

"Sometimes they don't realize what you're trying to do, they think you're being mean. But in the end, well I know myself... When teacher's gave me punishment I thought that they were being cruel, but I realized they were helping me to learn and grow."-McKeldin

This is our final Golden Apple award for this school year.

In the next couple weeks we'll be choosing our Golden Apple Teacher of the Year from our weekly winners.

Stick around to find out who it is...