Ann Flynn
May 8, 2018
By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer
Ann Flynn flunked retirement.
She hated it, she said, even after less than a year away from teaching.
So when her father heard that Roane State was looking for a Spanish teacher, she eagerly jumped back into the workforce.
“I love, love, love what I do,” said Flynn, now an adjunct professor of humanities on the college’s Cumberland County campus. “I have so much fun teaching.”
Flynn speaks French, Spanish and Italian and retired nearly two years ago as chair of the world languages department at the Carmel High School in New York. Her career there spanned 30 years.
She has master’s degrees in Spanish and school administration.
Her brief time off from work included living on a 46-foot-long yacht on the Hudson River north of New York City with her husband, Alan Sears. “It was heaven,” she said of that living arrangement.
But when the opportunity to return to teaching beckoned, the couple relocated to Flynn’s father’s house in the Fairfield Glade community near Crossville.
Flynn has taught a writing class along with courses in Spanish I and II.
“I’m very happy here,” Flynn said of the college’s campus near Crossville. “All of the professors are here for the students, and the students realize that.”
Flynn describes herself as “a little different.” She says she frequently uses humor in her classes because it makes students more comfortable. The feedback she receives in classes is also rewarding. “You are entertained constantly,” she said.
“I’m really impressed how this campus has open arms for their students. There’s a sense of community here.”
To learn more about Roane State’s Cumberland County campus, visit roanestate.edu/cumberland or call (931) 456-9880. Remember, eligible adults can now attend Roane State tuition-free with the new Reconnect grant. Learn more at roanestate.edu/reconnect.
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