They make a lasting impact everyday.

Teachers touch lives.

In recognition of national teacher appreciation day we spotlight an educator who's been in the classroom for 40 years.

Stephanie poole went to school today.

She joins us in the studio with the story.

Aundrea, this veteran teacher loves her job- and her students.

But, after four decades of preparing lesson plans and grading papers, she's ready to retire.

Vera myles has taught math for 39-years.

" i love teaching i like to work with kids i like to see them succeed.

" this is her last year.

Mrs. myles is retiring at the end of the school year.

She says a lot has changed in 40 years.

" they are different they are changing i mean they more technology, they're more exposed to much more as apposed to when i first started and now so we have to stay up to par so it is a process.

" but,one thing that hasn't changed she says, is the amount of money teachers are paid.

" it's too late for me as far at getting a pay raise...i'm going home..i think teachers deserve as much as they can get because first of all we teach everybody.

" " we're teaching the doctors the lawyers and tell them how they are to do their job and then we reward them with big salaries then the people that teach them we barely pay them.

" this session mississippi lawmakers approved a 15- hundred dollar pay raise.

But, mrs. myles says they could do a lot better.

"we thanks you for the 1,500 but they deserve much more."

As her four-decade teaching career winds downs she already planning her retirement.

"right now all i wanna do is get me somewhere and rest."

Her students say there's no doubt about mrs. myle's passion for teaching.

The veteran teachers says she just wants the mississippi legislature to show that same passion when it come to paying educators.

" we teach their most valuable commodities, their children.

And without us, i mean ,their kids are to going to be educated.

We actually send them into all the various areas and everybody else can pay their people and it looks like they would care enough to pay us.

" mrs. myles tells us her grandson will start high school next year and play basketball.

She plans to follow the team.

So students she'll be around.