You turned off the light and stepped into the hallway. You never imagined that the walk to your car would be so long. Or so lonely. Maybe you've been planning this day for years. Maybe you haven't.
Maybe you've looked forward to your retirement years. Maybe you haven't. Regardless of the planning or yearning, the day has arrived and you are ending a chapter in your life.
Starting a new season of your life might not be easy. If you've always identified yourself as a teacher and you suddenly find yourself without a classroom, it might be a little hard to swallow.
Maybe you've looked forward to your retirement years. Maybe you haven't. Regardless of the planning or yearning, the day has arrived and you are ending a chapter in your life.
Starting a new season of your life might not be easy. If you've always identified yourself as a teacher and you suddenly find yourself without a classroom, it might be a little hard to swallow.
If you feel like you've vanished into thin air and no one notices you anymore, you might be struggling. If you offer suggestions to your teacher friends and they ignore you, the frustration can grow. You may not be in the classroom, but you still have something to say. Something to offer.
To be honest, I never gave this much thought until I observed how two dear people were treated by their former work places. They were older and retired. And forgotten. I observed first hand the hurt. They understood that time wasn't standing still for them. They knew there were new trends with which they were unfamiliar. They got it. But they still had excellent observations and suggestions. And no one was listening because no one took the time to hear them or see them.
It breaks my heart. And, it makes me mad. I see people that they've helped over the years, brush them off. I've heard them say that they don't matter any more because they don't have a purpose. No one needs them any more. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The young ones may have an inside track on the latest technology, the not-yet-ready-for-the-pasture crowd may still have an edge on the latest in education, and the up-and-coming may still have many years to rise, but they don't have it all or know it all. There is still a need to listen and respect the voice of experience.
Include retired friends in week-end or summer lunches. Call or text them. Ask them for suggestions, ideas, help. Don't let the resource of retired educators slip through your grasp. Utilize their knowledge and skills. Let them know that they made a difference. Let them know they are not forgotten.
(For more of Kim Frencken's writing and information about her educational products, check out her blog, Chocolate For the Teacher.)
To be honest, I never gave this much thought until I observed how two dear people were treated by their former work places. They were older and retired. And forgotten. I observed first hand the hurt. They understood that time wasn't standing still for them. They knew there were new trends with which they were unfamiliar. They got it. But they still had excellent observations and suggestions. And no one was listening because no one took the time to hear them or see them.
It breaks my heart. And, it makes me mad. I see people that they've helped over the years, brush them off. I've heard them say that they don't matter any more because they don't have a purpose. No one needs them any more. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The young ones may have an inside track on the latest technology, the not-yet-ready-for-the-pasture crowd may still have an edge on the latest in education, and the up-and-coming may still have many years to rise, but they don't have it all or know it all. There is still a need to listen and respect the voice of experience.
Include retired friends in week-end or summer lunches. Call or text them. Ask them for suggestions, ideas, help. Don't let the resource of retired educators slip through your grasp. Utilize their knowledge and skills. Let them know that they made a difference. Let them know they are not forgotten.
(For more of Kim Frencken's writing and information about her educational products, check out her blog, Chocolate For the Teacher.)
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