I am too old for this...
My lovely wife, Rachel, retired at the end of last school year. I didn't. I wanted to for about a month, but we decided that it would be better for us in the long run for me to work at least another year. Two weeks ago, I was telling people that this upcoming year "might be " my last.
The other day during a training on the new teacher evaluation system, Lori Shaw, our awesome principal, mentioned how, as part of the new system, we would have a part of our review conference where we talk about how we want to improve something the next year. I giggled to myself, that I won't have an opportunity to do that, because I will be retired. That silly thought transported my brain out of the training and into thinking about retiring.
I wondered who else would retire with me at the end of this year. And, that is when it hit me! In a library filled with about 60 teachers, only three of us are anywhere near retirement age. I am now the oldest male teacher on campus. I may be the oldest teacher PERIOD! I'm not sure how old the two ladies that I label as retirement age are.
My mind kept wandering to age related things. I thought of the home economics teacher that I worked with my first four years of teaching. She retired the year I left that school. She has since passed, but would be 100 years old this year.
I thought of one of the teachers at my school who told me that she was born the year I graduated from high school. That means that I am old enough to be her father. Now, suddenly with this year's crop of new teachers, it has gotten even worse. I am getting closer and closer to the point where I am old enough to be some of my fellow teachers' grandfather!
Well, thinking that grandfather thing led me to thinking about grandfathers. My paternal grandfather would be 124 years old this year. My maternal grandfather would be about 108. I think it is safe to say that none of the new first year teachers have a grandparent born in the 1800s!
Somehow, my brain segued to the students I have taught. I started my career in Waeldar, Texas in 1981. I was the only special education teacher for Waelder ISD. I serviced kids in K - 12. My kinder students from that first year of teaching are now about 41 years old. My seniors are now about 53. My oldest student is now 56, as he was only two years younger than I that first year.
All of these thoughts led me to one final one. Some people don't even consider retirement before the age of 65. I will retire at 58. Folks, that is a blessing. God willing, Rachel and I are going to have plenty of youthful and healthy retirement years to actually enjoy it. My parents did that. Dad retired pretty young, and they went all over the place having a good time.
Now, just to be clear and avoid sending out any false messages, here is the current status of my retirement. I will definitely retire at the end of this year. I am too old for this. It is time to leave the future of education in the hands of the "kids" who are just starting out on their teacher journeys.