By Kayliegh Yates
Eagle Network
Mr. Shane Hall, a United States Army veteran, is one of the newest additions to the staff at Van Buren County High School as an economics and social studies teacher. The 2023-24 school year marks his first year of teaching.
A native of White Bluff, Tennessee, Mr. Hall graduated from Creek Wood High School in 2004 and joined the Army Reserves as a medic. He spent one year deployed in Iraq (2008-09) and was discharged in 2013.
After serving in the Army, he worked in the manufacturing field and as a State Farm Insurance agent, but his dream job since high school was to be a teacher.
“I had a teacher in high school who made history fun, and they inspired me to become a teacher,” Hall said. “After getting out of the Army and spending a few years in the workforce, I knew I wanted to go back to school and become a history teacher.”
He earned his undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies from Tennessee Tech in 2022 and is currently pursuing his Master’s of Instruction and Curriculum from TTU.
Mr. Hall said his goal for the year is simple.
“To survive,” Hall said with a laugh. “I just want to learn as much as I can and hopefully be a positive influence on people. Even if it’s just one student I can get to like social studies or history more on day 180 than they did on day one, that would be awesome.”
Mr. Hall and his wife, Lindsey, have a daughter, Chloe, and two dogs. Both of his dogs’ names, Knox and JJ, are references to the Tennessee Volunteers.