She's not new to the classroom. Before World War II, during which she worked in a war plant as a riveter, Davis helped teach school in McKinney.

"Granny has invaluable experiences she shares with all the kids and we couldn't duplicate it," Garcia said.

Davis recently brought in a replica of a wooden wall phone for the children to see, touch and pretend to talk on for photo taking. Her seamstress skills paid off, when they needed construction paper Indian vests for a class Thanksgiving celebration.

"Granny simplifies things for me, by collecting folders, disbursing notes and checking homework," Garcia said. "I get tired before she does. She easily saves me 12 to 15 hours of work weekly after hours."

Twice monthly, Davis attends program meetings, where she receives training with other volunteers and program updates.

The next day she has to answer for her absence.

"Where were you, Granny?" the kids ask, she said. "I love that they miss me, but I think to myself, 'I didn't know I worked for you.'"

Her work spills into adjacent classrooms, as other teachers need help too, a school administrator said.

"She's incredible," said Patti Heiland, principal. "We make a big deal of her birthday, and the entire school goes to visits through that day. All of our students enjoy somebody with Granny's kind of wisdom. She's very strong, and lets them know she still means business.

"We love her."

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