You can’t go home again – but you can visit!

Post date: Apr 19, 2017 9:17:48 PM

The ICN Room at Hawkeye Community College, 1994

I went out to Hawkeye last week for just the second time since retiring. I stopped by my old hallway and saw a few friends and “fed” some magazines to the “free box” outside my old office. I chatted with several people around Hawkeye Center. I went over to Grundy Hall to another friend’s office; she was in class so I left her a note, but got to chat with her office mate. Out shopping I ran into several more HCC people. Every time I log on to Facebook, I see many of my former colleagues as well as former students.

As I left campus, I was smiling as I thought of all of the experiences that teaching at Hawkeye opened the door to—teaching on the ICN, teaching writing in a computer classroom, teaching online, using the internet in the classroom with YouTube, and developing class websites with all of the materials available to students 24/7. I remembered the hours spent leading or attending committees, grading, prepping for classes, and trying to keep up with students’ questions in email. I remembered getting to develop new classes and how much I enjoyed teaching the Intro to literature class, Comp. 1 and 2, and the Technology in the Classroom class, where my inner Geek got to play with iPads, Prezi, Tumblr, and Pinterest.

I thought of that first semester at Hawkeye back in 1992. I worked so hard to reinvent myself after a divorce, getting three college degrees within five years. I worked as a substitute teacher, adjunct, and headed up a small inter-faith Social Services agency while looking for a full time job. Then, I got a full time job on the western side of the state only to have the rug ripped from under my feet, metaphorically: it was a job funded in part by state funds and in part by federal funds, so when Gov. Branstad cut the budget, my full time job went to a part time job. I had moved us from Marshalltown to Sioux City, and was in debt from the move.

My children came back to stay with my parents in rural Tama county. I finished my contract in the fall and they started school in country schools: Mikki became a cheer leader in fifth grade at Garwin and my mom took her to practices. My son went to Green Mountain for third grade and found it less than welcoming: he told me that “they don’t like you at that school if you aren’t a cousin!” My father took him to cub scouts. My parents lived out in the country in their retirement home: the old school house remodeled into a lovely five bedroom, two bathroom country home, with a large garage, big garden, and deck on the garage roof. The view of the rolling hills of Tama County, the gravel roads, and the old family farm made it an especially pleasant spot.

Then, I finished my contract, arranged for our possessions to go into storage, and moved in with my parents while we waited for our apartment to be ready. I applied for jobs and found the ad for Hawkeye, which was transitioning from a Technical school to a full-fledged Community College. I had an interview with Dr. Cox, was hired as an adjunct and shortly after beginning the semester, met my future husband, Mike, who had also been hired to teach writing classes. I soon fell into a routine of teaching at Hawkeye, subbing a few days a week, and trying to keep up the hunt for a full time teaching job. I did several other jobs during this period of my life, and some of them were more focused on technical writing. But I missed the classroom. I got a major break in my career in 1994 when I got a phone call from the Dean: “How would you like to be a TV Star?” she asked. And so my opportunity to teach on the ICN (Iowa Communication Network) began. I loved it, but I was still doing a lot of driving to teach two classes an hour away from home.

So, two years later, I took a job as a Pregnancy Prevention Specialist (possibly the most exciting job title ever) and thought my days at Hawkeye were over. Now I was driving to Des Moines. I loved the challenge of going into various schools and doing presentations with my friend and co-facilitator, K. D. He was black, a former student from Buena Vista, and an amazing man. We went into schools where he was probably the only black person; we went into schools where I was the minority; we went into at-risk schools where one student said in a very bored voice, “everybody’s been raped…it’s no big deal” after we had watched a video clip that was to set up a conversation about date rape, sexual assault, and dating violence. We used a G. I. Joe and a Barbie Doll for some of our presentations, and I loved this job because who else gets to shop for doll clothing on the clock? Not only that, but I had to practice my technique doing a condom demonstration, so my two young teenagers got plenty of information from mom regarding human sexuality and birth control.

Then, I got a phone call from a friend at Hawkeye that someone was retiring and there was a job opening. I didn’t want to apply one more time—why bother? I hadn’t even gotten an interview up to now. Two of my friends intervened and asked HR to send me the application. You can guess the rest: I was hired in August 1996 for a full time job in the Communications Department, and much of it was based on my willingness to embrace technology—from the ICN classroom to the first computer classroom to teach writing, to teaching online and learning at least half a dozen Course Management Systems to using iPads to develop lesson plans with my Education students.

Two years later, I reconnected with Mike and we began dating; he took me to London for Spring Break in 1999 and we married in 2000. For “an old bachelor farmer” with three Master’s degrees, he has been such a supportive and loving partner, I can’t imagine my life any differently.

I loved teaching; I loved working with students, learning new technology, going to conferences, making good friends with other teachers, and continuing to learn and grow as a person. However, it was very hard work. I have no regrets about taking early retirement: there is more time to read, write, think, and spend with my family.

Looking backwards, it is easier to see God’s hand. Throughout those days after graduate school, when I was trying so hard to find full time employment and cobbling together an income to support my children, I worried about everything. What if the car breaks down? What if it snows when I am out of town? What if the kids are sick? Somehow we made it through and I have two amazing young adults for “children” and a husband who can still make me laugh. I know now that my childhood faith was tested but strong. My life in retirement is a gift, and while I will go to campus from time to time to visit, I have found new purpose and love my office out on the four season porch, with lots of light and sun and inspiration.

Last Updated April 19, 2017