The End of a Journey: Last Day at JRT

What: Teaching math 

Where: J. R. Tucker High School, Henrico, VA

Duration: 8 years

Elevation Change: First 3 years - in the pits and pondering why I had chosen an adventure that would crush me? The last 5 years - an increasingly comfortable and gradual ascent toward the pinnacle.

When my engineering career ended in the fall of 2002; I was not old enough nor financially sound enough to discontinue working. I entered a period of discernment for what to do next. This book helped a great deal and, coupled with the counsel of many trusted friends and family members, led me to consider public education, preferably high school  as my next professional adventure. An arduous path took me through a year of uncertain job prospects but providence would have it and I ended up teaching statistics among other things at JRT in the fall of 2003.  Assigning me to teach statistics was like throwing "Brer Rabbit" into the briar patch. Why didn't anyone else want to teach it?

I survived three years of torture acclimating to the work load (I never worked that hard as an engineer) while escaping provisional status through course work needed for certification.

After year two the young lady who was teaching AP Statistics, who started the same time I did and was my closest colleague during her tenure, left and I took over that class. From that point on, each year I incrementally became more comfortable in the class room with the students, understood more the material I was teaching, and became more woven into the fabric of life at Tucker.  Teaching AP Statistics was challenging and very rewarding.  

For four years there was only one class of between 16 and 20 students; permission to take higher level math courses was granted to only a few. I taught geometry and a senior math elective consisting of one semester of statistics and one of discrete math. Then along came the VASS grant: money from private industry funneled into public education in order to increase the number of students taking math, science, and english AP classes. Money flowed to successful students and teachers and VASS provided student support in the form of exam prep sessions and teacher training and encouragement. My sense of professionalism increased by an order of magnitude. VASS encouraged Tucker to make the courses more accessible to students instead of "cream-skimming."  This year Tucker enrolled 90 students in three classes of AP Statistics; something significant had occurred! A combination of the response to the monetary incentives, opening the door wider and student enthusiasm for the course had its effect: a pinnacle year. So what's next?

I had been thinking about retiring in a year or two and several events brought the possibility and reality of this option into focus last fall. After some soul-searching, consultation with M, and financial analysis, the time seemed right. So about mid-year in went the papers.  And now the conclusion of taking that step arrives. I will miss most the interaction with the students; they are the life-blood of the experience. All else pales in comparison. A few pictures easily tell the tale.

The results of the bow tie quiz in Period 4. Everyone passed with flying colors. They also flew helicopters for their stats final project.

With C, M,  and J before graduation. With S after Senior Awards Assembly. With M and K at Prom. Walking across the stage at graduation after receiving recognition as a retiree. I got to be a marshall at the event which basically means I was the line leader, last time I did that was in elementary school. 

So I am leaving as a full-time teacher tomorrow and ending this adventure. It feels like a graceful exit. My replacement will surpass me easily. I will probably show up in the class room on occasion next year as a substitute (AP Stats only), but that's a different adventure mixed in with what I hope will be a year of some serious AT hiking. I am sooooooo excited.