Former students sing with choir teacher one last time before his retirement: 'It was so emotional'

A good teacher gives you faith, inspires creativity, implants a love for learning and growing and helps you achieve everything you desire. They fill our hearts with unbridled joy and happiness, and Mr. Jim Stanley—a retired chorus teacher at Cartersville High School—has done the same for his students. To celebrate his retirement and contribution, he sent out an invite to all his old students from the past 30 years to come and sing with him for one last time.

The video of the reunion was posted by TikTok user and wedding painter, Maggie (@watchmaggiepaint), showcasing their heartwarming and decades-long relationship with their teacher in an electrifying performance. 

Teachers are truly invaluable, and bidding farewell to a beloved teacher who dedicated their career to positively impacting students' lives is a heartfelt tribute. The choir sang "City Called Heaven" by Josephine Poelinitz, and the harmony could not have been more perfect. Mr. Stanely and his students still have got that charm and crisp in their voice and direction as they did 30 years ago. Their teacher directed the choir with evident emotions of joy and pride, which had a ripple effect on people across social media. 

Maggie wrote in the caption, "When Mr. Stanley retired, he sent out an invite to all his old students, inviting us to sing and be directed by him for one last day. I blocked it in my calendar and didn't work a wedding, specifically so I could go to my small hometown and sing for one last time with the people I grew up knowing."

"It was so emotional. So many memories flooded back, and we had the strongest choral program of a town our size all because of Stanley. Many of us became artists and musicians professionally. Reuniting and seeing the life path of each former student was wild," Maggie added as she and her mates were gripped with overwhelming emotions during the rehearsal.

After receiving numerous comments from people requesting to see the main performance, Maggie posted another video in which Lisa Lowe Douglas, the vocalist, pours her heart into singing with the choir to show their love and devotion to Mr. Stanley. The high school choir, led by Mr. Stanley, impressed everyone with their performance. Dressed in black and with only a piano on stage, they kept everyone on the edge of their seats throughout the video.

While speaking to Chipper in 2021, Mr.Stanely touched on the most rewarding aspect of being a teacher. "I would love to have the same impact on the people that I teach that my all-state teacher had on me, and I was like, she is possibly the coolest person ever, and I want to do what she’s doing," he said. "I mean, if I can spark that kind of love or that kind of enthusiasm for music this year, That’s what kind of does it for me."

Mr. Stanely, who previously taught at Rome High School, said that his third year teaching at Cartersville was the "magical year" of his life. When questioned about his passion for music and the sources of inspiration that drive him as a director, he replied, "My love for music is more than the music itself." He added, "I love it when my enthusiasm or my passion is contagious and when I can make students love it."

Watch the full video here: