Rachel Harrison joined the Darlington faculty as a first-grade teacher in June 2012. She holds a B.S. and M.Ed. from the University of West Georgia. Before coming to Darlington, she worked for the Floyd County School System teaching first grade at Midway Primary School. Rachel is married to Kent Harrison ('01), Darlington's assistant athletic director, and they have one son, Stafford.
What made you want to be a teacher?
My first and third-grade teachers inspired me but I truly felt called by God to teach kids! I couldn’t imagine doing anything else!
What is your favorite part about being a teacher?
I love every single part...I love hugging and kissing on my Harrison Heroes. I love sending their parents emails and texts when they do something amazing. I love the funny things they say. I love the precious things they say to me. I love watching them learn new things. Most of all, I love their hearts.
What's your favorite part of the Darlington Community?
I can’t pinpoint just one thing I love about the Darlington Community because I truly love every aspect of it. I love how we are all one big family. I teach the MOST AMAZING kids, and have the most wonderful, supportive parents. I work alongside the most incredible teachers who are some of my closest friends and I have so much support from our administrators. I love that I can ask our head of school to come and dress up like Abraham Lincoln or our dean of college guidance to dress up like George Washington, and they come with a jubilant heart and servant spirit. I love that our ELA-8 director runs Captain Rodney’s Caribbean Store on Fridays. I love that my son is cared for on campus by someone who we both love dearly. I love every single part…AND every single person. Literally!
What's your favorite activity at Darlington?
My absolute favorite activity at Darlington are the baseball games! I get teary-eyed every time they win and I need blood pressure medicine during playoffs. I have to keep their coach (my husband) fired up and ready to win so I keep our house decorated for each game and grill him every night on how we can win or play better!
What's your favorite hobby?
I love working out at Pro Performance, eating at Duffy's Deli with Beth Smith and the girls, and just being with my family. Eating dinner on Sundays at Gran Jan's is my favorite part of the week. I know these really aren’t “hobbies” but they are my favorite things.
What's the hardest part of your job?
The hardest part of my job is knowing when to stop. My mind is constantly thinking about the Heroes. I can’t sit down and watch a TV show or relax because I am always thinking about something I could be doing in my classroom or how I can be a better teacher.
