I Turned in my retirement this past week!!!

**Sister Golden Hair** · 03-06-2005, 05:05 PM

I am going to finish out the year but I did turn in my papers effective June 24. I have taught for 32 years at the same school. (I taught in Ohio for 3 years.) Luckily, my county has a very generous retirement package. I will be earning 80% of my highest salary when I retire. Plus my husband took over the health insurance payment when we switched to his plan. So basically I will make more being retired than I did in my salary.
I really like my job and I know I am not burned out or anything. I love middle school kids and the subject I teach. (creative writing) In fact, I designed the entire course from scratch!!! I am proud of that. But now I want time to travel and to do things for myself. I want to kayak on nice days. I want to real all those books I bought that are gathering dust. I want to sleep past 5AM. I want to try to do something else as a job too. What I might want to do is be a receptionist or a golf cart girl.

The thing I have hated the most about teaching the last few years is the parents. :evil: They have gotten increasingly more vocal and demanding. I am tired of having them complain about so many dumb things and acting like I am the one who is crazy when I call them about their kids poor behavior or non existent work habits. I swear I might just deck one of them this year. I already made one idiotic mom cry after she came in complaining about my voice tone on her answering machine. She refused to even say hello or shake my hand at the beginning of the meeting.

I will let you all know what 'retired' feels like come June. I have truly enjoyed my job and the many kids who have touched my heart over the years, but it's time to see what "the land of no Mondays" is like.

Looking forward to my hammock!!

Sister Golden Hair

**Linda/WA** · 03-06-2005, 05:09 PM

Coongratulations, SGH! Having the time to do those things we want to do but never find time for will be nice.

A couple of my friends have retired and say they don't know how they had time to work. They usually sub 4-8 days each month and love it. Their thoughts are that they enjoy not being committed to having to be around. Of course, both of their husbands are retired teachers, too, so they have the opportunity to travel at different times.

No matter what you do, just make sure you enjoy it.

Linda

**Chelsee** · 03-06-2005, 05:24 PM

Congrats! I always tell collegues that hae difficulty trying to decide when to retire that they have put in their years..go enjoy yourself. i have worked with teachers before that work until the day theu die. I WILL NOT do that. ENJOY MANY MANY years of what YOU want to do

Think of us

**BeSeeLisa** · 03-06-2005, 05:37 PM

Happy Retirement, SGH. It doesn't mean you have to retire from BEING a teacher, and visiting here. It just means you won't be getting up everymorning early, to go somewhere else, to be abused.

Wait a minute.....

Have a terrific (and long) Hammock ride

Lisa

**billybob** · 03-06-2005, 05:51 PM

that I am a tad bit envious..... :lol:

I'll likely never live quite long enough to get to do what you will, but that's what I get for working in the parochial schools as long as I did. My first ten years were in Catholic Schools and now I must work until January 2014 to earn retirement with the state of North Carolina. I often tell younger teachers that they need to think ahead and be mindful of such things, lest they find themselves in situations like mine.

I feel a lot like you do, though; I don't believe I am burned out and the young ones I see every day in the classroom keep me "young" and interested in life. Without them, well...I don't have much of a family so I spend the time and energy I have on my students. Some might thing that's crazy but I just laugh when any say that :P They wouldn't be the first ones to say I was wacko. Most of my career has been in middle school after all.

Parents have become an issue for me too. I see a lot of the same things you mentioned and more. The school where I am now is unquestiionably the best one I have ever worked in, but some of the parental issues I have had to confront have been the absolute worst since I left parochial school. Their expectations are surrealistic; so are some of the demands they make. I won't go into details. I could write a book if I did.

Just know that I am totally envious of the opportunities you are going to have beginning in June. Make the best of them.

**Barbara S** · 03-06-2005, 06:01 PM

Lucky Lucky SGH!
I have two years to go until retirement. I love the kids and I like teaching, but I have grown weary of the politics of education that make it difficult to do a good job. And I am really tired this year of my a**hole assistant principal who is an arrogant do-nothing and proud of it!!
Maybe one of your trips will be up to Maryland for margheritas and chips/salsa at my favorite bar. Would love to treat you!
Barbara S (formerly known as maxine)

**Bitsy Griffin** · 03-06-2005, 06:20 PM

Oh, I'm so jealous!

You will have such a good time in retirement. Think of all the books, music, laying around, writing for pleasure!

Enjoy yourself.

**Tom in Fresno** · 03-06-2005, 06:39 PM

Your post was inspiring. I am inspired to go hang up my hammock.

Seriously, though, I am inspired that your are able to look back on your teaching career with a sense of satisfaction, while also anticipating good things that are in your future.

The parent issue is something that I have heard many experienced teachers say is getting worse as time goes on. Personally, the parents are the worst part of the job for me as well and I can only hope that things will improve so that I, too, can retire as a teacher and not have to leave the profession. I think that administrators need to collectively make the decision to stop kissing the parents' kumquats and start laying down the law. I'm sick of administrators' attitudes that teachers need to do whatever it takes to keep parents happy even when it is not in the best interest of the students. I'm talking about forcing teachers to change students' letter grades, reducing punishments, always taking the parents' and students' sides in disputes with teachers, exonerating parents and students from any sense of responsibility and placing all the blame and responsibility on the teacher. Administrators need to stop being "complaint desks" for parents.

Enjoy the rest of the year, SGH, and best of luck to you. I had an English teacher in high school, Connie Barker from Tokay High School in Lodi, California, who was the best teacher I ever had and inspired me to eventually become a teacher. I haven't been able to track her down to thank her. I should have done that earlier, but I didn't fully appreciate her until I became a teacher myself and realized how good she was. SGH, I would be willing to bet money that there are quite a few ex-students of yours who feel the same about you.

**JohnBoy** · 03-06-2005, 07:15 PM

Congratulations! Thank you for your service to your community and your nation!

I have taught for 32 years at the same school.

Enjoy retirement, you earned it!

**Barbara S** · 03-06-2005, 09:53 PM

quote="Tom in Fresno"]Your post was inspiring. I am inspired to go hang up my hammock.

This statement actually made me laugh out loud.

.

I haven't been able to track her down to thank her. I should have done that earlier, but I didn't fully appreciate her until I became a teacher myself and realized how good she was.

I feel that way myself about certain teachers I had. I did find some to thank. But, I found others had passed on. Whenever a student seeks me out to thank me in some way, it has a greater effect on me than anything else in education...