THE SHAMBLES

“"Sam Farmer’s teaching and knowledge of English is rivaled only by the compassion he exhibits toward each individual student. Given that I’m dyslexic, translating my English thoughts into readable work was always my biggest challenge in school. It was no Herculean task for Sam Farmer, though; he would work with me around the clock day and night in order to get me where I wanted to go. Not only did he make his lessons approachable for someone like me, but he made them wholly engaging. This is partly due to his passion--in all my time I have never met someone who cares more about their students’ success inside, as well as, outside the classroom than Sam Farmer. Teaching is not just a job for him, it’s a true calling. I, and many other students like me, certainly would not be where we are today without him. I am forever grateful to have been taught by him.  For my money, there is truly no better Virgil to light the way through the treacherous depths of English than Sam Farmer.”  
~ Ryan Miller, Elon ‘23 

“Mr. Farmer is one of the best teachers I have ever had. Mr. Farmer taught the importance of a strong conclusion, with one last idea that leaves the reader in wonder. He has also helped me develop my love of books through helping me with comprehension and verbalizing my thoughts about what I believe will happen in the future. Having a teacher who is willing to put in as much time and energy as Mr. Farmer, and who shows such dedication, makes his students want to put in the work to get better grades. Mr. Farmer will sit down with you to help you personally or professionally because he just wants to help in any way he can. These are only a few ways that Mr. Farmer has helped me, but all I know is that Mr. Farmer is going to change your life, too.”  
~ Lacey Davidson, N.C. State ‘25 

“Sam Farmer is one of the best teachers I have ever had. He cares so much about the success of the student that goes beyond the classroom. He changed the way I looked at school, and to this day he still inspires me in writing and life. If you have the chance to learn from him, take it, you won’t regret it.” 
~ Helen Chiamulera, Towson ‘19 

"Mr. Farmer was wonderful at teaching me how to read the text, how to analyze the text, how to search for context, and how to be a good student of English. But something that is rarely exemplified by a teacher, especially at the high school level, is the ability to captivate the class and engage with literature in a way that is so infectious that it is hard to leave the room when the bell rings. Mr. Farmer drew students into his classroom because his love for literature and teaching was so powerful and effective that everyone wanted a little sliver of what he had. A testament to this is that on any given day, whether it be a free period, lunch, or after school, there was without fail a student sitting at a desk and Mr. Farmer next to them working out the details to a paper, project, poem, you name it. He worked with students from his class and students from other classes.  If you wanted a good paper, you took it to Mr. Famer to get his eye on it. It boils down to passion. I have known Mr. Farmer for just about half my life, and I know one thing for sure: Mr. Farmer is passionate about seeing success through others. On top of that, he is damn good at making people better at what they do. I will go to the grave with the many valuable lessons taught within Mr. Farmer's classroom and the fond memories made. My ability to passionately express myself through text is granted to me largely through the education I have received from Mr. Farmer. I love literature because of Mr. Farmer. I am unafraid of literature because of Mr. Farmer. I allow myself to get lost in literature because of Mr. Farmer.”  
~ Chris Prigg, Rhodes College ‘22 

“I took the same class twice from Sam Farmer back in high school, just for fun.  That was about seven years ago.  I’m a graduate student now, and even though I haven’t had a class with Mr. Farmer since, I can see how my time with him subtly prodded me towards the fulfilling path I am on today.  I have never had a more influential teacher in my life.” 
~ Gabe McKenzie, Westminster College ‘17

“Sam Farmer is the best teacher that anyone could ask for. He is extremely passionate about what he teaches which comes across in everything that he does. This is true regardless if it is simply having him look over a paper for spelling and grammar or debating the nuance and significance of a specific section of reading. It is because of his passion and love for teaching which made me pursue a Russian literature class with him, which remains one of the most memorable and enjoyable classes that I have taken, in no small part due to the discussions and writing that I was able to complete under his tutelage.”
~ Eddie Gibson, Jemicy ‘21