There was an old woman who lived in a shoe who had so MANY children she knew NOT what to do!

   You know, I try to be honest as I write these blog posts, because if I'm not, sure enough it always comes back to get me!  So the truth IS, as a kid growing up and throughout my high school years, I never had the desire, the wish, the dream to become a teacher.  That "notion" never even made it to the "forefront" of my brain as I contemplated what to do with my life.  If I would have been asked by a teacher what I wanted to be when I grew up, TRUST ME, the answer, "Oh, I want to be a teacher just like YOU when I grow up!" would NOT have come from the lips of Peggy Scott.  No way~

Looking back now, I guess that my very first remembrance of God giving me that "wake up call", that "whack upside the head" in this life of mine came in January of 1974, the year I met my freshman advisor, Earl Zehr, at Bethel College.  It was that very wise man who pointed out to the then "18-year old" me, that I was born to be a teacher and that he thought it was the path I should take.  Evidently God did too and since that point in time, well that's the road you could find me on. 

Being a teacher, now well over half of my life, has afforded me so many blessings and experiences as well as, sadly, a fair share of heartache.  I have seen the vast majority of my "school" kids grow up, raise a family and become good and productive citizens of this society. Yet, with an extremely heavy heart, I have also attended the funerals of way too many of my young students who have died from cancer, accidents, or violence.  And as if they were my OWN flesh and blood,  I have cried tears that would have put even the "weeping women of Egypt" of the Bible to shame.  It kind of happens that way when you are a teacher.  

In May of 2010, I believed that it was time for me call it "good" and retire from teaching after 32 years.  Truly, I wanted to go out at the "top", you know while I had yet to be referred to as "the grouchy old Mrs. Miller" who should have retired long ago.  LOL Retirement lasted 5 months and I returned to the classroom at Lincoln Elementary in October of 2010 and I've been teaching here, happily ever since.  Guess I misread the memo God intended for my life. Good thing I figured that one out...I would have surely missed the chance to meet all the wonderful staff and remarkable students of Lincoln.  That's a "do over" that I would have hated to miss!

 I have no idea what the future holds for me, my friends and although that "unknown" about where life may take me can be a little bit on the scary side, the one sure thing I feel is this....MY plan for life is in the very capable hands of someone way smarter than THIS teacher will ever suppose to be.  Promise to let you know as soon as I learn myself  :)

The picture below was taken on my last "official" day (yeah, yeah, yeah) of being a teacher.  These were 90 of the greatest ESL kids EVER and my two ESL assistants, Marlen and Mickey (Man, did THOSE 2 ladies ever bail me out a gazillion times!), at Avenue A Elementary.  What a gift they all were to me.   

In May of 2010, I was asked to write a column for our local newspaper, The Hutchinson News, about my thoughts on retiring from my 32-years of teaching.  Recently, I found that column in my files and reread it.  NEVER in my "wildest dreams" did I figure that God had other plans for me, IMAGINE that!  As the days rush by so very quickly, and year "34" will find itself coming to an end as well, I have MUCH to consider for my future.  

Here's the column, my words, thoughts, feelings from 2 years past, 2010.

On saying 'goodbye' to teaching

Peggy Miller - Guest columnist
May 12 will mark the end of an era for me. After 32 years of teaching, it will be my time to stop and say "Goodbye." When the bell rings and I walk out the door for the last time on that day, I'll know I've gone as far in education as I intended.

No one gets to this point in life without the help and support of others. As I clean off my desk and tie up all the loose ends of my career, I'm reminded of all the people who helped me get to this milestone in life.

The late Harold Voth, superintendent of USD 312 of Haven, gave me my first job in 1979. His faith and trust in me as a new teacher inspired me to always do my best. My parents, John and Lois Scott, taught me the value of hard work. They knew it was something I would need to know. My three children, Ursela, Grahame and Ricky "shared" me with hundreds of other kids over the years. They put up with endless calls to parents, weekends of grading papers and a variety of other things that took me away from them. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention a very wise person who stopped me from dropping out of college in the first place when I had only one year left to finish. He knew that I'd make a great teacher, and I have him to thank for it.

The experience has been diverse, and that's just the way I wanted it. I have taught Amish first- and second-graders at Yoder Elementary and Hispanic ESL students here at Avenue A Elementary. I even did a three-year stint at Hutchinson Middle School 7 and 8 teaching foreign language to students there. I've been able to teach summer school, do after-school tutoring and even teach adults how to speak the English language in order to help their own children with their schoolwork. I have been able to teach at Haven Grade School and Morgan and Lincoln elementary schools here in Hutchinson. I've met many great students and staff along the way.

There has been a vast amount of changes since I began back in 1979. The advent of technology has brought computers, Smart Boards, digital cameras and Elmos to the classroom. When I speak to students about how we used to make copies back in the "good old days" using a mimeograph machine, they look at me like I'm from another planet.

"What do you mean that you had blue hands?" they always ask.

And although we did our fair share of testing back in the early days, I had never heard of the Kansas State Assessments and KELPA testing yet. Change has been inevitable, and although I don't always agree that it has been good, it is what it is. Being flexible and willing to try new things makes the job of a teacher just that much easier.

When the school year first started in August, I decided to keep a journal of each school day. I wanted to use the time to reflect on how I felt about being a teacher. I was going to use these thoughts to determine if I really was ready to retire. It didn't take long for me to realize that I was at the point in time when I wanted to choose my own destiny. So on my 54th birthday, Oct. 26, 2009, I did just that. I didn't cry when I turned my letter in, but I am not promising I will not on my last day.

So upon leaving, I'd like to impart a little advice to teachers, not only those in USD 308 but teachers everywhere. Friends, the greatest lessons that we can teach children do not come from a textbook or are written in our lesson plans. Show students the importance of being good citizens and that honesty and kindness will take them a long way in this world. Get out of your "comfort zones" and actually do home visits. Find out where your students live and actually go there to see them and interact with their families. Never give up on students, ever. The very students that we say probably won't make it will turn out to be the ones who most need us to say they can.

And finally, remember that most of us didn't get into teaching for a huge paycheck each month, which is probably a good thing. Know that teaching is a noble and good profession.

I wish only the best for my co-workers and the students at Avenue A. These past seven years will be forever held close to my heart. And as the saying goes, "If you were able to read this, be sure to say thanks to a teacher."


Peggy Miller is a longtime teacher retiring this year from Avenue A Elementary School in Hutchinson.