By Dr. Rocky Wallace

This is the season of year when veteran colleagues typically decide it’s time. After months of reflection, prayer, discussing with family, discussing with colleagues, doing the math, imagining what it will be like to not start back up in August, and often with eyes filled with tears–they turn in their retirement letter.

For many, their stomach churns with angst as they are humbled by the many congratulatory conversations and well-wishes…And it churns as their colleagues celebrate a lunch in their honor…It churns when they watch students in their last class exit the room…It churns as they clean out their office…It churns as they put on their regalia on graduation morning…It churns as they march into the auditorium, as so many springs before…It churns as they sit through their last graduation ceremony…And the tears flow as they drive away from campus—on their way home.

“Home”? John mutters to himself as he finally lets it all go and breaks down with deep sobbing: “This has been home too.”

Greeted at the door by a loving spouse, John settles into his favorite evening chair, gazing at the TV with disgust, and with a look on his face as if to say, “You win.”

Finally coming to grips with the emotions of the day, and realizing what an inspired career of service has been officially recognized these last few days, John quietly tells his wife:

“Well, the dean offered me an adjunct position—if I want it.”

“Of course,” she replied gently and yet with proud validation.

“And my team invited me to assist with a new book.”

“Not surprised at all, Dear.”

“They want me to contribute a chapter on my pedagogy.”

“And how would you define that, John? In just a few words?”

“Well, this is on the top of every syllabus I craft: ‘Engagement, relationship, commitment, accountability, growth, modeling servant leadership’. If my students and I stay focused on these six core values for a semester, significant learning and improvement of life skills will take place. ”

“Sounds almost too simple.”

“Oh, it sounds simple alright, but it’s a challenge to create this type of culture in a college class, and to first model it for the students day after day. I guess that’s what prompted me to start thinking about retiring. I just felt like I was losing my passion, my energy, my thirst for mentoring. When that starts to go, a good teacher’s days are numbered.”

The grandkids are coming by for a weekend sleepover, and John heads upstairs to change into something more comfortable. As he passes by his office, he stops to glance in at his desk and library, and thinks to himself:

“Well, I guess I’d better get myself back in here Monday morning…No, Monday afternoon. No more meetings! I am starting to like this new gig already.”

The calling to be a teacher is one of the greatest this life has to offer.

• Teaching is not easy, but incredibly fulfilling.
• Students often don’t remember to say ‘thanks’, but their lives say it for generations.
• The monetary rewards are not great, but the journey is priceless.
• The expectation to have all the answers is sometimes frustrating, but the passion for learning is food for the soul.
• The honor and fame are sometimes fleeting, but nothing compares to earning the respect of serving as a “teacher”

---

Dr. Rocky Wallace

Professor of Education

Campbellsville University