Retirement: Five Surprises During My Final Week of Teaching
Soon I will no longer be a teacher
Today begins the final week of my 36-year career as a teacher. The time has finally arrived. There is something unreal about it. In a few days, I will walk out of this classroom, shut the door, and never return.
I will probably take one last look at the classroom as I exit. My desk drawers will be mostly empty, save a few leftover dry-erase markers, a few pens and pencils, and some office supplies. The bulletin boards will be bare, as will the classroom walls where posters once hung. The desks will be stacked so the people who clean the classrooms during the summer will have an easier time of it, and all the textbooks will be boxed.
When I close the door, there will be an echo of finality.
I will turn in my keys to the secretary in the office, say my final goodbyes, and walk out of the school for the last time. I will get into my car, put the bag with my personal items on the passenger seat, and begin my drive home.
My career will be over. I will no longer be a teacher.
I will be extra diligent as I begin my drive home. The part of the city I have to drive through includes some of the most violent areas of the city. Shootings, carjackings, and robberies are…
