40th Anniversary in the Teaching Profession

[Ken Messersmith]

Today is a milestone for me. It is the 40th anniversary of my first day as a teacher after completing my education at the University of Nebraska and becoming certified as a high school Vocational Agriculture teacher. I am sure I was much less nervous about walking in to my class this morning than I was on that first day of teaching in St. Paul, Nebraska on January 25, 1971. I am also quite sure that I was better prepared this morning than I was on that first day.

Much has changed since that time. I remember that my first contract had a loyalty oath to the United States printed on the back. This was not long after the big Communism scare in this country and all teachers were required to declare loyalty to the country. I had to sign the oath when I accepted that first job. I also remember that I was expected to check during first period that all of my students, who were all male at the time, had shaved that morning and were wearing a belt.

Technology has certainly changed since my first day of teaching. My college instructional technology class consisted mainly of learning how to thread a 16mm movie projector, how to splice broken film, how to run a carousel slide projector, how to care for the acetate roll on an overhead projector, and how to make a copy on an alcohol based duplicating machine, a task you could not complete without walking away with a permanent purple stain on your fingers. I had a manual typewriter in my office and attendance was taken by writing the names of missing students on a slip of paper then attaching it to the outside of my door using the alligator clip that was provided.

My monthly rent for that first appartment was $75 per month and I could fill my car's tank for 35 cents per gallon.

This profession has been good to me and good for me. I look back today with great memories of the students and other professionals I have worked with over the past 40 years.

[John Moloney]

 

Congratulations on the 40 years! Do you feel like you're starting to come full circle yet? Communism...remember the charge to get students up in math and science scores thanks in part to Sputnik, the Russians and the competition beating us to the punch on getting into space first? I think the President’s speech was geared to get me reflect, since my students have no idea what he was referring to in that speech.

 

Oh my, shaving, belts and dress and now it's still shaving, belts and jeans so big and saggy you could hide a liter of pop, a sandwich, some chips, your mp3 player and portable dvd in them and still have room for books.

 

So many other technological castoffs: reel to reel tape, film spools, A-B Dick spirit masters, the typewriter, the ball and the daisy wheel, magnetic pickups on record players, 33,45, 78, carbon paper, NCR. Yikes, I never want to go back.

 

Don't remember what the rent was, but gas and cigarettes cost 20 cents per gallon/pack and the gas came with stamps or soap, an ash tray, a roll of toilet paper or some other amenity.

 

I've been fortunate in many the same areas and life has been good to me in spite of my failures, missed opportunities and downright stupid things I've done. But I've learned from them all and from some of the best people I could have ever hoped to meet. In great part, I also owe my life partner, my wife, for putting up with me and all my endeavors, since May 31, 1969

[Korie Mitchell]

Congratulations on 40 years, what an accomplishment!

 

I can remember my first day of teaching (only 5 years ago). I was very ill-prepared for the cards I was dealt. My first position was teaching a section of ELL Kindergarten. What I was not prepared for was that I would have the largest class in my school (24 kids) and 18 different native languages represented. I was also not prepared for the 5 kids who only knew how to say "hello" and "bathroom." As soon as the kids left I burst into tears, I was so defeated. Now that I have my ESL Endorsement (in Illinois) I am much better prepared to deal with that. Though I wish I could go back in time and have a "redo" of my first few weeks, I know it is all part of the process. It makes me that much more thankful that I had an amazing mentor and great coworkers standing by me during that first year. Now that a little time has passed, I look back on that group of kiddos and I really only remember the good stuff.

 

Technology has changed monumentally even since I myself was in Kindergarten. When I was in Kindergarten, I didn't even know what a computer was. When I taught Kindergarten, I was introducing word-processing skills (mainly practice typing your name or words from the word wall). I was also using the computer lab to give my kids interactive practice with skills on a program called Compass Learning, and most of my students had computers with internet access at home. WOW.