Many high school students avoid work when it comes to math, science and chemistry.
But Tallassee High School teacher of the year and agribusiness teacher Dr. Daniel Free bucks the trend. Every year nearly a third of the student body is in his classes and that is only part of the story.
“Every year kids are trying to get in here,” Free said. “We don’t have enough spots for them. It is a class that is in high demand.”
Free said he modeled his classes after his ag classes in high school.
“When I was in high school, this was the one class I looked forward to every single day,” Free said. “That is the same mentality that I bring into teaching. I want this to be the highlight of everybody’s day. That is what we are doing.”
Free was humble when talking about being selected as Tallassee High School’s teacher of the year.
“I pour myself into my program and my kids,” Free said. “I absolutely love what I do and to serve Tallassee is a high honor. I strive to be the best teacher that I can possibly be and for my class to be the best class each student has.”
Tallassee High School principal Drew Glass said Free is a valuable asset to the school and community.
“He is willing to do anything that is asked of him,” Glass said. “He challenges his students to become better than they were the day before in his class.”
Free gives the credit to a lot of his success to his “amazing” students.
“They push me to keep learning so we can go even deeper in subject matters,” Free said. “I’ve learned that to teach once is to learn twice. Therefore, I’m a professional learner who gets the ultimate privilege to take what I have learned and currently learning and use it to impact my kids in subjects they love.”
Free has students learning hydroponics, beef evaluation and construction. Lately students have been building shooting houses. It will create a shelter students can hunt from for decades but the skills learned can translate to a career tech credential in construction.
“They are building shooting houses now to familiarize themselves with stud walls, rafters and so on,” Free said. “These are some of the skills they need for that credential.”
As his students are committed to him, Free is committed to the students and Tallassee. He grew up in north Alabama and has had an opportunity to return to teach agribusiness. But he sees a future at Tallassee built on the foundation of former agribusiness teacher and current Tallassee City Schools superintendent Dr. Brock Nolin.
“This is where my family and I want to be,” Free said. “We have roots here now. We are firmly planted in Tallassee. Even with what I built off what Nolin built already, I am still getting started. I have big plans.”
-- Cliff Williams, Tallassee Tribune