7,000 days

After 40 years of being an educator, the last 5 days of school in my teaching career have come to pass.   This Friday, May 8th is our last day of school, albeit done in a manner of continuous learning from home.  I did the calculations just now and if I did my figuring correctly, that's slightly more than 7,000 days in the classroom.  It's been more than enough time to make plenty of memories and to have learned a plethora of lessons in life.

You know, I got into the business of teaching to make a difference in the lives of the children and families that I met.  That's our purpose as educators, to always be there.  Being there doesn't necessarily mean only when it is convenient for us, but rather any time that we are needed by our students and their families. I would like to think that I have made a difference somewhere along the line and I suppose that time will tell if truly that was the case.  Now that it is close to being over, I have to ask the question of myself.

"How has being a teacher made a difference in MY life?  What has happened to change the person that I am along the way?"

There has never been a time, not once in my 4 decades in the classroom, when I ever entertained the notion of not being a teacher.  10 years ago I retired "officially" from the state of Kansas as an educator but was right back in the classroom with the same school district the following fall.  What a blessing it has been to go for yet another 10 years as I continued to teach in whatever community was in need of an educator like me.  I truly have had a great run and I am most appreciative of that fact.  I've seen so much and learned a wealth of things about myself at the same time.

To answer the question, at the end of my career I realize that spending all this time working with kids and their families has allowed me to follow my destiny.  I've given my whole life to working with children and helping in my own small way to shape their future.  For the many times that I have chosen the wrong thing to do, it's a good feeling for me to know that I have done the right thing as a teacher.   All these years have not been wasted, rather it has been time most wisely and well spent.  I have followed something through, from beginning to end.  I have managed to stay the course, even through some very difficult and challenging times.  On those days when it would have been easier to quit, I'm thankful that I doubled down and tried even harder.  My character has been refined many times over in ways I never imagined it would be.  I became a better teacher and even more importantly, a better person.

5 more days remain.
I will continue to teach until the end.
I have no regrets at all.

My mentor and I~

I had to do the last 3 years of my career without her.

I made it, just like she said I would.

Thank you Sherry!

Little did he know that day back in January of 2013 where life would take him!  Mike has been my greatest and most constant supporter for the past 7 years.  Every student I had was blessed by the fact that there was a "Mr. Renfro".  They all have been the recipients of his goodness and acts of kindness.  I've told students many times that whatever they needed to be successful for school that year, that Mike and I would always provide it for them.  Thank you Mike for loving me and for loving my students as well.  I could not have made it this far without you!