For the first 20 or so years of my teaching career, whenever someone asked me when I was planning on retiring, my standard answer was: "Probably never. One day my students will come in and see me slumped over my desk. They'll argue with each other, trying to decide whether or not to try and wake me, or wonder if they should tell the principal, or if they should just enjoy the day and let the custodian discover my body after school and alert the proper authorities."
That changed around my 25th year of teaching. I began thinking that I would stay 30 years and collect my full pension. I would still be young (relatively speaking) and I could pursue another profession that did not involve a roomful of children, many of whom were actively engaged in trying to stop me from doing my job. After all, I still had the option of around 12 weeks of vacation time per year. I could teach summer school for 5 four day weeks, which I did for a few years, and earn some extra spendin' cash. I also had enough sick days saved up so that I could take as many as I wanted to take without worrying about running out.
But no, I quit after only 29 years. The proper people were informed back in March. I filled out the proper paperwork - on and off line, was honored at a board meeting, and walked out the door for the final time last Friday.
Why not stick it out one more painful year? Here is the part where I begin to enumerate those reasons-
Well, that's what I was planning on doing. But why bother? Yes, there were issues. Every profession has its issues. What it comes down to is that due to all of the issues - it was time to leave. The school has changed. The profession has changed. Parents and children have changed. Government requirements have changed. I've changed. It was time.
Now that I will have the time, I may even update this blog more frequently.
UPDATE: For more information, go here.
