Incredibly difficult but rewarding job, parenting! I enjoyed reading your post, Keith. In many ways you were a father figure to all us first year teachers back in the day :)
I received this comment from Mr S. on my last post. The comment brought back many good memories and it's surprising how Mr S worked in our experience as colleagues.
Every once in a while you get a comment that really rocks you.
We needed another teacher for the second semester. We picked three applications for interviews. The first interview was a guy who was principal in a rural school. One question we asked people is how would they teach a certain lesson. This guy completely blew the lesson. The second was a young woman in a graduate program. Since it appeared she wanted to make money to finish her program we thought she would leave at the end of the semester. Mr. S had just graduated. He nailed the lesson . Our head of personnel said, "Let's take the kid. If he doesn't pan out we can let him go." Mr S stayed his entire career in the system and retired this year.
One of the other young guys always called me Dad and still does to this day even if he is retired.
Now all those years I thought the young guys were looking after me! I told Mr. S. that I watched the young guys but I was watching for the latest strategies they came out with.
Those were happy days.
