Jimane Allen began teaching first grade at Bangs’ J.B. Stephens Elementary more than 30 years ago, and has never thought of leaving her first and only teaching home.

“They’re good to me, they’re the first ones who hired me, and I’ve been there 30 years so there’s not a lot of changeover,” Allen said of sticking with Bangs throughout her career. “When I came there was a great team of teachers, they all had 25 years-plus experience and they took me in and taught me everything they knew. My team changed to another group of ladies and we’re still friends today. We taught 15 to 18 years ago and that was another fabulous team that I got along with and we worked well together. I feel like where I’m at now I have a team and I’m able to give back to them, and I’ve always been blessed with wonderful co-workers. I never had felt like I need to change or move.”

Allen’s passion for teaching came from her mother and the help she provided.

“When I was growing up school was not easy for me and she spent hours working with me and getting me to where I needed to be,” Allen said. “She always told me if I could read I could do anything, and that’s where most of it came from for me.”

Allen, a Tarleton graduate, originally thought she would focus on coaching to go along with teaching, thanks to her experience while attending Early High School.

“Because of Coach Drennan at Early, I thought I wanted to go into coaching,” Allen said. “I have a minor in PE, but as I got into Tarleton and got to learning more about education, I did lean toward the little ones. I started learning more about teaching a child to read and that’s where I knew I wanted to be at a grade level where you teach children to read, and that’s the first grade level.”

As for teaching first graders, Allen said, “I was just lucky that Bangs called for an interview and they had a first grade position and that’s where I went and I’ve loved it ever since. I was exposed to other grade levels when I did summer school for a while, I taught all grade levels up to fifth grade, but my people are the first graders.”

Allen’s highlight of teaching first grade is watching the children’s reading skills blossom throughout the year.

“They have very impressionable little minds and I want them to feel like if they can read they can accomplish anything in the world. I want them to be able to go out in society and be productive,” Allen said. “I’ve been able to see them grow, and that’s a good thing about Facebook and social media, and some have grown up to be lawyers or pediatric doctors. One worked on an aircraft carrier and that was exciting to see, then you walk into the Brownwood hospital and one of them is your RN about to help you. I love seeing that part, too, but my littles still love school and their teacher and if you can keep that in them, you’ll have a good day.”

Allen said what brings her the most joy in the classroom to this day is “watching one light up when they figure out that they can read. They come in knowing their letters and then they start blending them together and then all of the sudden they start reading everything you have on the wall. They’ll pick up a book and they’ll read the first sentence and give you that look like, ‘I just did that’ and it’s wonderful.”

She and her husband Larry have two children, Kaden Allen and Keelee Hargrove, and one grandchild, Hayes Hargrove.