It’s that time of year again… the beginning of a new school year. Backpacks are packed, lunches made, and school buses ready to pick up excited children. Brand new pencils wait to be sharpened and notebooks with fresh clean pages beg to be filled. For the past few weeks teachers have been making plans and decorating classrooms getting ready for new faces to fill the desks in front of them.

At the same time, across the nation and around the world retired teachers are gathering for their annual “to hell with the bell” celebrations! Since I’m not aware of such an event locally, I won’t be attending one but I’ll be there in spirit.

Did I enjoy being a teacher? Yes, definitely. Do I wish I was back in a classroom? Absolutely not! I still love children and I had an absolute blast working with the kids of Living Hope Church of the Nazarene on the island of Saipan this summer but I wouldn’t trade retirement for the best teaching job on the planet!

No more homework; endless hours of marking and lesson planning. No more school dreams, crazy nightmares that used to plague me at this time of year! They’d start about mid August, dreams of classrooms with black walls and no windows, dreams of crowded rooms filled with students who wouldn’t stay in their desks and do what they were told. Don’t let anyone tell you that teaching isn’t a stressful job but it’s also an honourable profession and one that I’m proud to have made a career of.

So, as I’m out walking or playing golf and hear the school bell ring, I’ll think of my younger colleagues and wish them well. I’ll also smile and celebrate my freedom!

P.S.  To view my Living Hope Kids slideshow, click here.