“I’m relieved that I retired,” David said, as he sat looking at the lake by Celia’s house.
“Relieved?” Celia stared at David. “I always thought you liked teaching. It seemed like a calling, not a job.”
“It was. It really was. Part of me really misses teaching. At the same time, though, I just frankly burned out. There were too many students who didn’t care, and many of them made life miserable for me and their classmates. I had too many battles with the administration. I got so tired of new trends that sounded good but did nothing to actually make education better. And now my old school is having to deal with the fact that our pandemic remote learning was virtually worthless, and so students lost nearly two years of learning. I think that, alone, was what finally made me decide it was time to retire. I just don’t have the energy left.”
Celia went into her house to get them coffee.
David’s phone rang. The caller ID indicated it was Marsha, the principal of the school where David had worked. David sighed. He was tempted to let it go to voice mail. She was the most annoying principal he’d ever worked for. She was, in fact, a major reason he decided to retire.
Instead, he answered it.
“I’m glad I caught you!” she said. “We need you! Long term sub job!”
David gritted his teeth. Was she ordering him? Her tone of voice sure sounded like it!
“I want you in my office at 8 tomorrow!” she said.
“Hell, no! I’m retired. Remember?” Then, he ended the call. He wished he had a landline still—this would be one time that it would be nice to hang up with a bang.
He leaned back in his chair and happily went back to looking at the peaceful lake.
“Relieved?” Celia stared at David. “I always thought you liked teaching. It seemed like a calling, not a job.”
“It was. It really was. Part of me really misses teaching. At the same time, though, I just frankly burned out. There were too many students who didn’t care, and many of them made life miserable for me and their classmates. I had too many battles with the administration. I got so tired of new trends that sounded good but did nothing to actually make education better. And now my old school is having to deal with the fact that our pandemic remote learning was virtually worthless, and so students lost nearly two years of learning. I think that, alone, was what finally made me decide it was time to retire. I just don’t have the energy left.”
Celia went into her house to get them coffee.
David’s phone rang. The caller ID indicated it was Marsha, the principal of the school where David had worked. David sighed. He was tempted to let it go to voice mail. She was the most annoying principal he’d ever worked for. She was, in fact, a major reason he decided to retire.
Instead, he answered it.
“I’m glad I caught you!” she said. “We need you! Long term sub job!”
David gritted his teeth. Was she ordering him? Her tone of voice sure sounded like it!
“I want you in my office at 8 tomorrow!” she said.
“Hell, no! I’m retired. Remember?” Then, he ended the call. He wished he had a landline still—this would be one time that it would be nice to hang up with a bang.
He leaned back in his chair and happily went back to looking at the peaceful lake.
