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Jun. 27th, 2013 02:27 pmToday is the last day of my parents' teaching careers.
To give you some perspective, my mom has been teaching in the library at the same school before I was born, and my father, who has been teaching since before I was born as well, worked in a family-owned computer store that was one of the local school board's top providers of technical equipment before that. I just learned a bit about the latter at his retirement party.
My mom is retiring because she's had the feeling that 'it's time' for a while now. It's hard, and she will admit it, but it's time, and she's ready to move on. My dad is a little more reluctant, but his school is closing this year, and he is taking that as his final sign that yes, this is his time as well.
They're naming the library at my mom's school after her. She's been its librarian for around half of its over 50-year history and so it's a quite deserved honour, but I'm still pleasantly amazed by this. She did deserve it, though, and I hope that one day someone will think so highly of me when it's my time to go.
The only potential downside is for the incumbent teacher-librarian, who happens to be a good family friend. This is not why he got the position, though I suppose it didn't hurt -- he is a wonderful man, and his various skills will be perfect for the school. However, I have the feeling it is more than a little daunting to know that not only is he walking into her library, but that he is walking into Her Library.
Last week was my dad's retirement party. It was... good. I am somewhat glad I went and was able to be there for him, though I will admit that I don't know the staff at his school very well, and thus it pretty much ended up with me sitting at a table for four hours and not talking much. Still enjoyable, if a bit drawn out for me. (I've been to far worse, including one thing that was technically partially for me. The main problem is that I'm no good at these sort of things without a buddy, and when you're somewhat the social outsider... yeeaaah. But it happens, and this was a good one so yes.)
Tonight is my mom's retirement party, and attending it will be teachers who I have known, and who have known me, for years. It's going to be weird saying goodbye to them as a family, let alone individually, though I have the feeling that I may stay in at least loose contact with one or two.
I also wonder how final this goodbye will be: my parents both are not planning on doing any occasional/supply/substitute teaching in their retirement, believing that the spots are much better filled by young teachers who need a foot in. However, especially since we still have ties to the school and to the person taking over the position my mom has held for just short of 30 years, I do wonder if I really have seen the last of the dinosaur-muraled walls and the bookshelves that I've organized, cleaned, created displays for, and taken inventory of time and time again.
Either way, this is a huge day for my family. I'm both excited and scared for what lies ahead for all of us, and glad that I can celebrate this occasion with teachers who have become like friends to me, let alone my mother, to whom some are practically family.
To give you some perspective, my mom has been teaching in the library at the same school before I was born, and my father, who has been teaching since before I was born as well, worked in a family-owned computer store that was one of the local school board's top providers of technical equipment before that. I just learned a bit about the latter at his retirement party.
My mom is retiring because she's had the feeling that 'it's time' for a while now. It's hard, and she will admit it, but it's time, and she's ready to move on. My dad is a little more reluctant, but his school is closing this year, and he is taking that as his final sign that yes, this is his time as well.
They're naming the library at my mom's school after her. She's been its librarian for around half of its over 50-year history and so it's a quite deserved honour, but I'm still pleasantly amazed by this. She did deserve it, though, and I hope that one day someone will think so highly of me when it's my time to go.
The only potential downside is for the incumbent teacher-librarian, who happens to be a good family friend. This is not why he got the position, though I suppose it didn't hurt -- he is a wonderful man, and his various skills will be perfect for the school. However, I have the feeling it is more than a little daunting to know that not only is he walking into her library, but that he is walking into Her Library.
Last week was my dad's retirement party. It was... good. I am somewhat glad I went and was able to be there for him, though I will admit that I don't know the staff at his school very well, and thus it pretty much ended up with me sitting at a table for four hours and not talking much. Still enjoyable, if a bit drawn out for me. (I've been to far worse, including one thing that was technically partially for me. The main problem is that I'm no good at these sort of things without a buddy, and when you're somewhat the social outsider... yeeaaah. But it happens, and this was a good one so yes.)
Tonight is my mom's retirement party, and attending it will be teachers who I have known, and who have known me, for years. It's going to be weird saying goodbye to them as a family, let alone individually, though I have the feeling that I may stay in at least loose contact with one or two.
I also wonder how final this goodbye will be: my parents both are not planning on doing any occasional/supply/substitute teaching in their retirement, believing that the spots are much better filled by young teachers who need a foot in. However, especially since we still have ties to the school and to the person taking over the position my mom has held for just short of 30 years, I do wonder if I really have seen the last of the dinosaur-muraled walls and the bookshelves that I've organized, cleaned, created displays for, and taken inventory of time and time again.
Either way, this is a huge day for my family. I'm both excited and scared for what lies ahead for all of us, and glad that I can celebrate this occasion with teachers who have become like friends to me, let alone my mother, to whom some are practically family.
