A Huge Career Step, but not what you might think....

[forHISglory]

I've slowly been retiring. For some folks, retirement is a one time thing: today I work, tomorrow I don't. But for me, retirement came in increments. I loved being a teacher, and taught at one level or another, in one place or another, in some shape or another for 40 years! Yep, started in 1971!!!!!

I retired from full time teaching in 2007. But I really wasn't ready to quit, so went into internet education, and then into part time university education. But in May, I taught my last class and now I can say I am fully retired.

But here's the big career move: Tomorrow a young teacher will be coming by and picking up all my teaching materials. Imagine: 40 years of research, lecture notes, posters, games, exercises, tests and quizzes (and keys), videos, audio recordings, newspaper articles, background materials..... I have (GULP!) 25 boxes of stuff that he is eager to get. I imagine that he won't want all of it. But I only wish that when I was starting out, that a retiring teacher would have given me all of this material to use. Imagine having the entire Shakespeare unit handed to me!!

Here's an example for those of you who are scratching their heads and wondering what in the world she is talking about!
I have a unit made up for Hamlet, by Shakespeare. I not only have the book, but also videos of various productions of Hamlet to show how actors and directors interpreted the character. I have the posters of the Globe Theatre in London. I have the historical background of London in the time of Shakespeare. I have samples of the clothing that was worn. I have posters showing what the language of the day was like. I have a video of Mel Gibson discussing how he prepared to play Hamlet. I have essay assignments, quizzes, tests, and creative projects. And that's just a WEE bit of that one particular unit. My units cover American Lit, Brit Lit, World Lit, Dramatic Lit, and the complete composition curriculum for freshmen and sophomore years of college.... and more....

Once this is out of the house, I'll know that I am really retired. There will be no going back. This has been an incredibly difficult step. I actually pulled out two boxes of stuff that I couldn't bear to part with.

Talking with other teachers, I find that many go through the same kind of career withdrawal that I did. But I'm wondering if this affects other professions/careers. What do you think? If you are retired, was there some sort of withdrawal? If you are not retired, do you anticipate any sort of withdrawal?

[alotofgooddeals]

You sound like someone who loved their job tremendously... 40 years goes to prove that...I am on year 6 going on year 7 and i seriously can't see myself doing it for 40 years....Teaching is very very hard work esecially when you make sure you are doing it correctly...We have a teacher in our district that has taught my son when he was in kindergarten and taught all three of our kids also...and seriously you can tell she still loves her job and that is hard to say after 40 years of teaching...so doing something you loved for 40 years and then letting that go sure there will be some withdrawel etc...Good luck!

I've slowly been retiring. For some folks, retirement is a one time thing: today I work, tomorrow I don't. But for me, retirement came in increments. I loved being a teacher, and taught at one level or another, in one place or another, in some shape or another for 40 years! Yep, started in 1971!!!!!

I retired from full time teaching in 2007. But I really wasn't ready to quit, so went into internet education, and then into part time university education. But in May, I taught my last class and now I can say I am fully retired.

But here's the big career move: Tomorrow a young teacher will be coming by and picking up all my teaching materials. Imagine: 40 years of research, lecture notes, posters, games, exercises, tests and quizzes (and keys), videos, audio recordings, newspaper articles, background materials..... I have (GULP!) 25 boxes of stuff that he is eager to get. I imagine that he won't want all of it. But I only wish that when I was starting out, that a retiring teacher would have given me all of this material to use. Imagine having the entire Shakespeare unit handed to me!!

Here's an example for those of you who are scratching their heads and wondering what in the world she is talking about!
I have a unit made up for Hamlet, by Shakespeare. I not only have the book, but also videos of various productions of Hamlet to show how actors and directors interpreted the character. I have the posters of the Globe Theatre in London. I have the historical background of London in the time of Shakespeare. I have samples of the clothing that was worn. I have posters showing what the language of the day was like. I have a video of Mel Gibson discussing how he prepared to play Hamlet. I have essay assignments, quizzes, tests, and creative projects. And that's just a WEE bit of that one particular unit. My units cover American Lit, Brit Lit, World Lit, Dramatic Lit, and the complete composition curriculum for freshmen and sophomore years of college.... and more....

Once this is out of the house, I'll know that I am really retired. There will be no going back. This has been an incredibly difficult step. I actually pulled out two boxes of stuff that I couldn't bear to part with.

Talking with other teachers, I find that many go through the same kind of career withdrawal that I did. But I'm wondering if this affects other professions/careers. What do you think? If you are retired, was there some sort of withdrawal? If you are not retired, do you anticipate any sort of withdrawal?

[Debbie-cat]

When I started teaching 17 years ago, my coworkers were teachers that taught me!! Slowly as the years went on, they would retire one by one. Some had serious withdrawals but the majority of them LOVED being retired! They wouldn't even step back in the school.

There will be withdrawals but you are very involved with other interests, I don't think you will miss it much.

Happy retirement!! Enjoy yourself.

[imagine]

Wow Congratulations that is a big step finally getting rid of all your teaching supplies and the units you worked hard on.

Your are passing on the torch to the next generation.

It was a big step when my mother finally did this with her teaching units. She started teaching in '64.

She now volunteers by running and teaching the Wednesday night Bible study/youth group for elementary students. She also went on vacation to Mexico to teach vacation bible school.

[forHISglory]

Imagine, your mom is just turning her talents and skills in other directions. Hooray for her!!!!!!

I have a teacher friend who, when she retired, held a "garage sale" of all her teaching units and resources. She didn't actually take money for it, but laid out all her stuff in her school room, and let other teachers come take what they wanted.

DC, I had so many mentors when I began teaching. They truly did teach me as I went along the journey.

[chevy_chick95]

Happy Retirement!!

[shoiji]

I think it depends on the person. Some people never truly retire. I think the not working part will take a little time to get used to. Deciding what you will do that will not only fill your free time but give you as much fullfilment as teaching gave you.

If you ever find yourself wanting to teach again there are many opportunities out there. Many of which is to volunteer.

Knowing that you can determine how you spend your time in retirement with all the options available to you will probably lesson the sense of withdrawl to you.

[Ramona]

fHg,

You're leaving a wonderful legacy for future students and will still be teaching in a way. Just think of all the students who will benefit from the wealth of information you were kind enough to pass on to the young man!

[krbshappy71]

There will be no going back.

HAHAHAHA!!! If I could have a dollar for every time a teacher told us this and then showed up substitute teaching and telling us how much they LOVE subbing!! How it gives them that feeling of teaching without the stress of having to come up with lesson plans. How in the end it was the kids they missed, just not the work. Then they get all the attention from their fellow teachers asking how they enjoy retirement, they can brag about their projects and traveling without having to deal with the gossip garbage that comes with it when you are part of a staff....I just love how they come back...they always come back. And we are happy to receive them. They are happier, freer, and truly enjoy themselves more because its just for a day, just for half a day, that they get to have us, we get to have them, and then they get their "fix".

To me its like when I say I am "done" parenting and yet look forward to grandkids. Consider subbing for your "grandkid student" fix. Or volunteering. Seriously these schools can use all the help we can get.

Hugs to you on your journey but know that the schools are never far away if you need your fix.

[TheresaRHPS]

My mom retired from her education career kicking and screaming, lol. She taught for 28 years, then took a position in charge of special ed in our district for another 10. She was a teacher at heart, though, and even spent her summers teaching at our local summer academy, and taking on home-bound students.

She finally retired so that she could take care of my son during the day while I worked. She is adamantly opposed to daycare, and I had a job opportunity that I just couldn't pass up. She was on the sub list and subbed every day up until I actually started the new job. I do think she's fairly depressed about not being in the workforce anymore, but she makes up for it by making almost weekly trips to our Parent-Teacher Store and picking up educational materials for my son to work with, lol.

Teaching is definitely one of those fields that I think is extremely hard to retire from. I'm in the Educational Department of our local science/art museum, but several years ago I was a preschool aide working through AmeriCorps. When people asked me if I had any kids I say "yeah, I have 20." All my time was spent thinking of fun activities to do with the kids, new ways to teach the basics, unit studies, etc...and of course, even after I left, I always spent a chunk of my paycheck to buy much needed supplies and "fun" stuff, like books and Play-Dough, for the classroom.

[RaineyDaye]

Talking with other teachers, I find that many go through the same kind of career withdrawal that I did. But I'm wondering if this affects other professions/careers. What do you think? If you are retired, was there some sort of withdrawal? If you are not retired, do you anticipate any sort of withdrawal?

I definitely went through withdrawal when I retired from information technology. It took me a while to stop thinking in techie and to be able to communicate normally. Now I'm so glad to be out of it. Too much stress!

[forHISglory]

Great thinking and replies!! Not sure I want to do subbing; I know the grief many subs get. But I did some volunteer tutoring last spring, and think I'd like to do that again.

[erinalexmom]

One idea would be to volunteer after school at the boys and girls club or something like that. Those type of organizations would really love to have someone like you to help the kids with thier homework