On second thought

It’s endless summers from now on; no more recess bells or bathroom breaksIt was a busy week in the halls and classrooms, as students completed their last days of school before summer vacation. And little things like a retirement here and there would go easily unnoticed. Several teachers quietly savored (or endured, depending whom you ask) their final days on the job –— not just for the school year, but for their careers.Luverne School Board accepted the retirements of seven long-time teachers this spring. They are:
Kindergarten Teacher Peggy Goettsch, who started in August 1979,
Kindergarten Teacher Shirley Harrison, who started in August 1972,
Third-grade Teacher Rhonna Jarchow, who started in January 1979
Phy Ed Teacher Steve Kollman, who started in August 1970 and
High School English Teacher Cheryl Roberts, who started in August 1974.If you add up their years of work in Luverne, the total comes to more than 150 combined years of teaching.It scares me to watch all that experience and dedication walk out the door. Every single one of these individuals has carved out a niche among students in Luverne. Mrs. Goettsch is known for her gentle demeanor, Mrs. Harrison for her creative spirit, Mrs. Jarchow for her entertaining projects (ornaments and hats, for example), Mr. Kollman for leveling the P.E. playing field and Mrs. Roberts for her attention to proper English grammar.Who will fill those enormous shoes? Who will be the voice of experience? Whatever will we do?I’ll tell you what we’ll do. We’ll hire new teachers.And soon enough they, too, will carve out their own niches among students in Luverne.I could easily name a dozen teachers hired in the past 10 years who, in my opinion, are already legendary.I’ve lost track of the times I heard myself ask a teacher, "How do you do it?"How do they bolster enthusiasm when mid-winter doldrums set in? How do they inspire learning in a learning-disabled child? How do they coax patience from the attention-deficit child?It’s demanding work that’s not forgiving of weaknesses. I’ve seen teachers struggling with health problems and personal losses take charge of their classrooms with grace and strength … and energy. For this reason and many others, we at the Star Herald find teacher retirements newsworthy.Over the coming weeks of summer, as these new retirements become official, we’ll share their stories about memorable classroom moments, highlights in their careers and most challenging obstacles along the way.Congratulations on your retirements, teachers! May you enjoy a quiet future, uninterrupted by recess bells and milk breaks.