Students at Winridge Elementary hosted a very special guest Thursday morning.

Governor Bill Haslam stopped by to visit the 2014-2015 Tennessee Teacher of the year Karen Vogelsang. While on campus, Gov. Haslam met with Superintendent Dorsey Hopson, Winridge principal Dr. Linda Campbell and members of her staff about some of the successes and challenges today’s teachers experience.

Afterwards Gov. Haslam, First Lady Crissy Haslam, Superintendent Hopson and Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen sat in on a reading lesson with Mrs. Voglesang’s 3rd grade class.

Mrs. V, as the students call her, gathered the students and special guests into a circle and read together. Mrs. V even got the governor involved by asking him questions about vocabulary words. Once her lesson finished, the students, Gov. Haslam, Mrs. Haslam and Superintdent Hopson broke off into small groups with the students to work on a related lesson.

Mrs. Vogelsang is a member of the first Governor’s Teacher Cabinet. She is one of 17 teachers from across the state who help provide Gov. Haslam with boots on the ground information about what is happening in the classroom.

"Politicians need to see what is going on in classrooms on a day in, day out basis because they are making decisions that will affect teachers and students," said Vogelsang.

Winridge students also prepared a special goodbye for Governor Haslam. A group of 5th graders sang a song about their promising future.

Today’s visit was one of several for the governor as part of his "Capitol to the Classroom" tour.