After 33 years as a public school teacher and administrator, I am now retired. I’m trying to figure out what to do next. I devoted my life to education and never really planned for the next step - retirement. Now with the pandemic, I’m feeling isolated and without purpose. I guess I have the “retirement blues”. Is there anyone who can relate and has some advice or ideas?
Welcome to the forum, @Ann France. Many, if not most of us here are retired from some profession or another. If you don't have a reliable spouse or a good hobby, retirement can be rough, but for those of us who do, it isn't difficult. The difficulty of travel has been the worst part for me since the pandemic started since we are so isolated where we are. We work through it, though, and enjoy what we can of life.
@Ann France Welcome to the group; we are I am certain, always glad to meet someone offering new ideas and outlook! Several members have teaching backgrounds, I believe, and I for one was chosen to teach high school Math though I am a Professional Engineer rather than a teacher. It was a most interesting and rewarding experience, as out of "nowhere" I was approached and asked to teach in a small, very rural school district; we graduated 20 to 30 students annually. My predisposed impressions gained while in school myself many years earlier were quickly re-shaped when I assumed the position behind the large desk up front! In some ways, today's kids are unchanged from those I schooled with 50 years earlier, but many new attitudes and behaviors became quickly apparent. These observations are tempered by the "Bible Belt" attitudes prevailing where I lived and taught, deep in the Mark Twain National Forest area of the Missouri Ozarks. My wife and I had retired there after 20 years in Phoenix, Arizona. The change was from "Wild West Urban" to Highly Rural isolation, where our county population density was 21 persons per square mile! A certain lawless attitude was evident among the folks there in Missouri (we are now back in AZ, after 13 years in the Ozarks). A number of the parents were learned to be shiftless, chronically unemployed, bent toward leading rather shady existences. Those students whose parents were of professional background stood out prominently, securing the bulk of the accolades available, further miring the unfortunates in their miasmas. Ah, but now we should like to know more from you, @Ann France! Frank
Wow! What fascinating life and professional experiences you have had! I’ve had many different kinds of experiences over my 33 years in education. What would you like to know about me?
I started out as a high school math teacher at a young age. The discipline needed for that age bewildered me. I knew I couldn't last, so I decided to go to graduate school, and was lucky enough to receive an NSF grant to go to Wayne State Univ. in Detroit. After finishing there, a position became available when a technical school decided to convert to a community college in our town. So I took the job, and stayed there until retirement. After retirement, I worked for 4 more years part time, teaching distance learning (which at that time had turned into a sought after way for students to work and take courses) Long story short, I was in the same position as you are now. After some thinking and agonizing, I decided I would become more active in my church (Southern Baptist). I joined the drama team, I was at one point a deacon, and a substitute SS teacher, as well as on the visitation team. I also joined the Big Brothers, and had four little brothers over a 10-yr period. Then I asked my asst. pastor if I could be of help in the bus ministry, so he said yes, and so I got my license to drive a converted school bus on Sundays, bringing in kids from the housing project. For the past 20 years, I have been in the Gideons, and visited scores of public schools, hundreds of motels, and several university campuses. After going on an Emmaus Walk (look it up on line - I highly recommend it), I also became part of the Kairos Ministry, where we and about 20 other men would visit a prison for 4 days and hold bible lessons. I say all of this not to brag, but I was the one who benefitted, since it gave me a feeling that since I spent all those years teaching, I needed to "give back" to God. I realize that none of this can "buy me a place in heaven", since Jesus paid it all, but I take pleasure in feeling I am doing something for the kingdom. Best wishes to you in whatever you decide to do.
Thank you Huge for giving me inspiration to get back in touch with my spirituality. Returning to my church and volunteering is a wonderful way to give back to my community.
I didn't retire from it, but I taught Emergency Medical Technology for Texas Southmost College for a few years, and was the program chairman of the EMT program at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen and McAllen for six years. In other words, I taught adults.
That’s awesome! What inspired you after you retired. I struggle with what to do after saying goodbye to my 33 years in education.
I didn't retire in the sense that I received a retirement package beyond Social Security and Medicare. I left teaching because I had an opportunity to buy into a private ambulance company as a co-owner. However, after I was married we decided to move to Maine, so I sold my interest in the company to my partner. I am currently collecting Social Security, although I work from home for a web directory company, which is something that I began as a hobby in 1998. So, I guess my hobby became my job.
@Ann France This Forum will keep you occupied if you choose to do that. All of us, after paying "dues" to a timeclock or other demanding means for a working lifetime, are bound to become a bit befuddled upon quitting the rat race. The daily routine beginning with getting up, preparing for work, perhaps eating a bite, then getting to work on time: a drastic change is inevitable upon quitting the long-established routine. In my own case, retiring was easy, as it came in three stages. Frank
@Ann France Gee, you have not even heard a few percent of them! Now, what would I like to know? Anything and everything fit to discuss and not causing personal reluctance to reveal! Frank
Hello and Welcome, Ann, from northern Colorado. My SIL (wife's sister) was a Special Education teacher and retired from that. Actually, after retirement, she got called up several times as a substitute teacher. When the pandemic hit, she didn't want to do anymore subbing. She was getting pretty annoyed that she could no longer see her local grandchildren, but, thank the Lord, that has now changed. Her husband died some years ago and she lives alone. She loves to travel, but travel can get expensive. IOW, she does the best she can to stay occupied with whatever. I'm not a former, or retired, school teacher, but am retired from Purchasing and Inventory Control. I've been retired now (SS only) since late 2007, but keep fairly busy at home on the computer and cleaning/laundry. My wife has a temp job working from home, but she will soon be fully retired as well. She is 73. Some folks can retire with ease, while others, it's not so easy. I liked to work, but getting a 35 to 50 cent raise at the end of each year, was sort of depressing to me. My wife made the much bigger salary, mainly due to her two AA Degrees and a Bachelors in Business/Accounting. Anyway, glad to have you on this forum!
Welcome to the forum Ann!! Great to have you here! Just a thought here. A major reason why a lot of homeless people in the U.S. are in the position they are in is a lack of education. When I was the Educational Director at the Seattle Union Mission I ran across adults who were barely able to add and subtract not to mention those who were totally illiterate. Many are the times when I have suggested that every rescue mission needs someone to help the homeless “residents” get their GED or tutor resume’ writing or even teach someone to read and write. There is a possibility that you could suggest such a thing at your local mission and go in as a volunteer to help out. Heck, they may even offer you a small stipend or offer you a staff position. If they already have a program going such as the International Learning Systems (ILS) program then you could volunteer to proctor or help students get through something that simply doesn’t register. You did mention getting in touch with your spirituality well, most rescue missions are Christian based and if you want to see and experience something beyond the normal spectrum of experience, give it a try. I guarantee you’ll never regret it.
Hi Ann! My teaching experience is only as an occasional guitar teacher elementary thru college. I did work for my state as a vocational instructor for adults with learning disabilities, mental illness, and also those with addiction problems. That was only for a very small time in my 70 years. I have three friends that are retired public school teachers as was my mom that taught 43 years public schools and college. I cannot relate directly to your feeling a bit lost. I have always had several hobbies as well as many professions and once I retired I wondered how I ever found time to work. I retired in my early 50s from paying jobs but kept busy with my home remodel and maintenance and several hobbies. Here are some of the things ex-teacher friends are doing. Writing, reading, playing word puzzles on their I pads, cooking, taking dance classes, Tai Chi classes, caring for grandkids and great-grandkids, training service dogs, sewing, volunteering at the hospital education dept, two days a week for a couple of hours reading to kids at elementary schools, tutoring kids that need motivation, volunteering at the library, etc. They say just reading to little kids and no teaching is one of the most rewarding things they have done. My mother after retirement gardened, made quilts, sewed, canned, cooked, helped in her church, read the Bible for at least 3 hours a day, as well as help on the ranch. She shared her flowers and garden produce with neighbors and friends. Any spare time she had, she worried about my unusual career choices, staying single, and living alone in the mountains. I won't bore you with my past life and accomplishments and failures but will just sum it up as a Jill of all trades but mistress to none. Words like eccentric, eclectic, and as my mother would say and my friends say to this day (also some on this forum), "Faye you are a real piece of work." Since it is usually said with a bit of a condescending tone, I once had my feeling hurt a tiny bit, but now I love it. Better to be a real piece of work than a fake one, I say.