Happy 84th Birthday to my Mom in Heaven

Mom doing flash cards with Michelle and I in 1969

Happy Birthday to my first Teacher, my Mother. If my Mother were still alive today she would have been 84 years years old. Today I would like to use my blog entry as a way to honor her and her teaching career.

My  20 year old Mom having fun when she was not teaching

Mom graduated from Rolette High School in 1956. She then attended Minot State Teachers College where she received her Associates Degree in Elementary Education in 1958. In those days a Bachelor's degree was not required to become an Elementary School Teacher. Her first Teaching contract was for the Max Public Schools where she taught with her older sister Charlene.

Mom and Aunt Charlene at the Max High School Prom

I recall my Mom telling me that she and her sister were required to attend the school prom and that dates for them were arranged. I also remember my Mom telling me that she would pick out her outfits for the week and polish her nails on Sunday so that everything coordinated. This reminds me of how I would iron both Brad’s and my professional outfits for the upcoming week on Sundays.

Some of Moms students from her first year of teaching

I am not sure about the dates or the order of the other schools she worked at but I know that at some point she moved to the Minot Public Schools and one of her jobs was at the Elementary School at the Air Force Base. She once told me that when she taught at the AFB her students were very well behaved. Teaching during this time period was a respected profession and Educators were held in the same regard as Doctors and Lawyers. My Mom once asked me what teaching was like nowadays (2010ish) and so I told her. She said to me “Duty Free Lunch? Planning Time? What is that? When I taught, we did it all and worked non-stop without a single break!” On days I am asked to cover someone else's room/class due to our substitute teacher shortage, I think of my Mom. In the spring of 1962 my Mother was forced to resign her teaching position. Her pregnancy (with me) was now visible and pregnant women were not allowed to teach in the early 1960’s.

Mom  and I Christmas 1962

Years later in the early 1970’s my Mother wanted to return to teaching but a Bachelor's degree was required. I remember Mom reenrolling at Minot State College. The course work along with 3 young children (Todd was yet to come) was too much and she dropped out. She was pretty much a stay at home Mom with all of our family's moves (Dad worked for Boeing Military). She was a substitute teacher when we moved to Belle Plaine (our forever home), worked at K-Mart and eventually gained employment with Boeing in Wichita. Her previous Teacher skills helped her to land the job. She was with Boeing until her retirement in 1995.

Mom and Dad in 1970 around the time she tired going back to College

When I interviewed and accepted my Teaching position with the Haysville Public Schools I was pretty upfront regarding my timeline. It has always been known that I would retire from teaching at the end of the 2021-2022 School Year. I am fortunate that I qualify for a nice pension from my previous school district called THE BRIDGE. To qualify for this pension you must retire from teaching in a public school before your 60th birthday. My 60th birthday will be 11/21/22. Not doing so you forfeit a nice amount of $ that is distributed to you between the ages of 60-65. Sadly it no longer exists. You had to be hired into USD 259 by a certain date in the mid 1990’s, Since I do not wish to lose my USD 259 BRIDGE, today I am announcing my retirement from Teaching.

I waited for my Mom’s birthday to make my announcement because it will give my school at least 100 days to find my replacement. A school can not begin to look for your replacement until things are officially in place. Why would you wait for the last minute if you HONESTLY know you are not going to return? I have witnessed some spiteful Teachers that have purposely waited until the last minute to announce their leave. Did they think they were not replaceable? In my opinion that should NEVER happen. Of course there are always circumstances that might prevent you from announcing early but the earlier you can announce the better. 

It is my hope that whoever is hired can take what I started to the next level. I hope they are young yet have some experience. I want them to be energetic and have a passion for Technology Education. I hope they are Google Certified (I was too scared to take the test!) It would be great if my replacement has been a Specials Teacher before or has had multiple grade levels classroom experience. I am hopeful for candidates that do not think that being a Specials Teacher is an easy gig. I would not call it easy, I would call it different. If you are interested in my job, I would encourage you to apply for it. I am guessing that within a week of my making things “official” the job will be listed on the USD 261 website. The huge risk I took in 2016 by accepting a part time non benefited position in USD 261 really paid off for me. Maybe you might want to look into the Haysville Public Schools?

As for you Freeman Elementary School, I have been proud to call you my home for the last 5.5 years. I have been LUCKY to have my "dream job" the last six school years of my career as an Educator. I have something special planned for Freeman Elementary that should be ready by my last day as a Teacher on May 18, 2022. Wonder what it is?

The last photo I have of my Mom and I together 2009?

So as I prepare to leave a 37 year chapter of my life behind, I just want to end this blog entry by saying "Happy Birthday Mom, thank-you for being my first Teacher."