More than a Math Teacher
James Davidson touched countless lives across three decades of teaching.
Words by Nick Norris | Images by Ryan McGill and courtesy James Davidson
For three decades, James Davidson not only taught math to Walker County students, but he also touched countless lives on a deeper level in the process. Even though he has been retired since 1991, his impact on the community continues to be felt.
“The rewards of teaching don’t end after retirement,” James says fondly. “There is nowhere we ever go that someone doesn’t come up to me or Peggy and tell us how much they enjoyed having us as teachers. And that’s a special feeling.”
James’s wife, Peggy, was also an educator, serving as a city-wide elementary school music teacher. The couple has been happily married for 61 years. Her husband is even more proud of her accomplishments than he is of his own.
“She taught...hundreds of students,” James explains. “One girl she taught eventually grew up and gave our home a call years later. I answered and the former student said, ‘Mr. Davidson, would you please tell Mrs. Davidson something for me? I’m now a music teacher, too. Your wife taught me how to love music, and because of her I’m going to teach also.’ That woman is now head of the music program for one of the largest school districts in the state of California and has 52 teachers beneath her. I told Peggy, ‘My goodness, you taught this girl how to love music, and now she’s doing the same. Just think about how many lives you have influenced without even knowing it.’”
Though James enjoys bragging about his partner, the humble former teacher has plenty of accomplishments of his own. And, after 31 years of teaching math, he also made his fair share of memories.
James began his career teaching fifth and sixth-grade math at Memorial Park Elementary in 1960. He was employed there for five years before moving on to Jasper Junior High School in 1965. After eight years of teaching at the middle school level, James made the transition to Walker High School in 1973.
No matter the age range or level, he simply loved to teach.
“I think the major reason I wanted to be a teacher is that I had really good teachers myself and I saw the importance of that,” James says. “I first started teaching Sunday school to preschoolers and I saw for myself how much they can get out of what you tell them. I appreciated the teachers I had, not just because they were good at what they did, but also because they genuinely cared for me. I could tell they were doing their best to invest in me as a person.”
As the 84-year-old retiree looks back at his decades of service, he recalls a time when he was far from home, visiting a Macy’s store in New York City. As he was coming down the elevator, he heard a familiar voice call to him, “Mr. Davidson, what are you doing here?” It was the voice of a young woman, a former student he had taught several years prior.
“Some of those former students are now 40, 50, even 60 years old,” he says. “And my wife and I will still hear those kids who are now all grown up tell us ‘Mr. and Mrs. Davidson, we want to tell you how much we love you. You made our day when we came into your class.
“It’s those little things that make teaching so rewarding,’” he continues. “And thank you, Lord, for leading me there.” 78