In the weeks to come, I’m sure you’ll see plenty of stories in these pages about the great number of retirees we have in the NRHEG school district. Congratulations and best wishes to those who have achieved that milestone as they ride off into the sunset of education!
I’m not one of those this year, nearing the end of my 23rd year of teaching, all here at NRHEG. However, I was looking over the seniority list recently and thinking about just how different it will look next year.
I was #19 on the list this year. That means there were 18 teachers in our district who had been part of our school system longer than me. (Seniority lists are based on time in a particular district, not total years taught.) Next year, I’ll be tied for #13.
That’s quite a jump in one year. I’ve probably got 15-20 years left before retirement is in my forecast, so it seems likely that I’ll inhabit the top ten for a long time. (Unless those Powerball numbers come up!)
I thought it was important also to look at those folks who have been here as long as I have or longer and show some appreciation for their guidance throughout my educational journey and the friendships I have developed during that time. This will not encompass everybody ahead of me; I have not spent time working with all those people, though I know they have contributed plenty to the betterment of our district and our students.
Ann Howe will move to the top of the seniority list next year. She and I have worked together for the past five or so years as we collaborate on having her special education students in my regular education classroom. There are times we see successes by immersing those kids with special needs right into the same material as everyone else. Mrs. Howe makes some adjustments to help them reach the goals they have and does a nice job of helping celebrate those successes. I value our teamwork in helping our students succeed.
John and Wendy Schultz were among the first people to welcome me to the school district when I started. They are both known as being outstanding coaches, always finding ways to push our student-athletes to their highest potential and making winning and learning go hand in hand. Both are also exceptional teachers, and I know my own children have benefitted from their guidance, both in the classroom and in sports. They’ve been great friends as well, and I’m so glad they were so kind as I started my career.
I’ve written about Duey Ferber in this space before, but I know he’s deserving of appearing again. Duey and I have not always been in the same building, but the friendship we developed early on helped bridge the chasm between New Richland and Ellendale for the years we had different sites for teaching. Now he’s been my classroom neighbor for about five years, and we continue to be great support for each other during those three-minute intervals between classes and usually find something good to laugh about every single day.
Robin Eder has been a fantastic teacher for her entire time here, and she has been a true guide for me throughout my entire career. It didn’t matter if I was a rookie or 20 years into this gig, Mrs. Eder has helped me through a lot of rough patches. She also has helped an untold number of students become better versions of themselves. Robin and I were classroom neighbors for many years in Ellendale. We also had many brilliant moments in the hallway between classes.
Nancy Rudau has been a stalwart force for English and social studies since before my arrival. When we made the middle school switch to New Richland, I got to know Mrs. Rudau a lot better. She takes on a section of 8th grade English most years, so we spend a lot of time working together to get all our 8th graders where they need to be. Nancy was also one of the wonderful people who welcomed my family to All Saints Church when our parish shut down in Ellendale, so she’s been a marvelous friend outside of school as well.
Brad Root helped me figure out a lot of things when I started, beginning with where the golf course was located! He also has helped me in so many ways outside of the classroom. It was Mr. Root who helped me get started with my retirement plan at a very early age, something for which I’m forever grateful. Brad also helped me become more involved in my union and to start work as a negotiator.
Mike Weber and Dan Stork are both at the same spot as me on the seniority list; we all started teaching here in 1996, though both had some experience before becoming full-time at NRHEG. We all hit it off as fellow newbies back then and have continued great friendships to this day. They’re both great teachers and even better friends.
In large part, what this really means is simply that I’ve been around a while. But it’s always good to sit back and take stock at the end of each school year of where you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going. I’m so very grateful for all these wonderful colleagues, both for their invaluable friendship and the job they do as professional educators.
Thank you to all my colleagues, whether you know me well or just as the name of that crazy guy who teaches junior high English. We’ve nearly made it through another year, and our students are better off for the work we’ve all done. Summer is coming!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is scaldabanco, which means a fiery speaker, as in, “The retiring teacher was known as a real scaldabanco, but his retirement speech was very laid back.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!