Retiring into the Great Outdoors

English teacher, Ms. Goedken, is making her way out of teaching and wants to tell the story of her career in education and advice she'd have for future educators while highlighting her retirement plans.

Jackson Kilburn, '23

Being a teacher is not an easy job, no matter how long you have been doing it, so it is important to appreciate the teachers that we have around. This is no different for the English wing, specifically Mary Goedken, who has been with MHS for over thirty years. Her reign in the English wing will be ending this year, as she’s retiring, so she’s looking back on where she got her start and how she got to where she is now.

“This is my thirty-fourth year teaching Language Arts at the secondary level. My first three years of teaching and coaching began at North Scott, where I taught English and coached volleyball and basketball. The remaining thirty-one years have been at Muscatine High School, teaching all levels of English and coaching basketball and boys tennis with legendary Coach Kiser,” she said, reminiscing on the timeline of her career

The decision to become an educator is never an easy choice to make. From the pay to the thought of having to deal with the most difficult kids you’ve ever met, it just doesn’t seem like a good option to most who are getting ready to go into the workforce. But for Goedken, it seemed like a natural fit due to her love of being around youth and her desire to help them find their futures.

“I always liked to learn and be around young people. I truly believe that they have kept me young at heart and I learn from students, as well. Being a teacher allows me to be a student for life. Teaching is a career that helps people discover their own career, whether it be a dentist, an auto mechanic, a professional basketball player, or a Superintendent.”

While retiring may be an exciting time for those who have been in the workforce for an incredible amount of time, there is no denying that there are things you’re still going to miss, even the little things about the routine you’ve become so used to.

“I will miss the challenging personalities in the classroom, you know the ones that would interrupt the lesson just to tell you a random story about their dog or their last vacation.

I will miss the look on a kid’s face when they finally get what I have been trying to teach them for the past 50 minutes after they put down their cell phone. And, I will also miss the long john donuts, with the white frosting, on Wednesdays, in the cafeteria.”

With a career that is so involved with interacting with people, whether it be staff or students, there is no denying that there are changes that are made to your own view on things and the way you think. This can especially be said about Goedken and her career of interacting with students.

“Back in the mid-1990s, I had a student that would not get homework done and she would snap back at anything. Well, I talked with the counselor and found out that she was kicked out of her house and was sleeping in her car. That gave me the opportunity to increase my perspective. My empathy has increased, as have my listening skills. I try to build students’ confidence, inspire creativity, encourage higher education, and reading.”

When asked to elaborate on things that she’s learned and gained, she had this to say:

“As an educator, I gained insight from simply watching and listening to people, whether it be other teachers, students, administrators, coaches, or parents. Also, being a teacher/coach allowed me to be a student for life. I love to learn new things. During my teaching career, I made it a priority to remind students of the importance of reading and that Library cards are free. As an educator, it is important to take the person where they are and get them to exceed their potential. Many times, we as educators, can see their positive potential and we have to get them to believe in themselves. I have become more creative because each day is different and each year is different. One year, I taught online school from home and had to know about subjects other than English. That year I taught and learned about, science, math, history, and social studies. It was a challenge and I discovered I knew more math and science than I thought!”

With the new generation comes a new age of teachers that will be coming in fresh and ready to start their careers as an educator. The advice that Mrs. Goedken has for future educators depends on keeping true to yourself and staying healthy, financially and physically, as well as being able to enjoy the little things.

“The advice is to keep your sense of humor and be flexible. Save your money. Exercise every day. Be resilient and self-sufficient. Learn something new. Build relationships. Always have a bag of Dove dark chocolates in your desk drawer so on the challenging days you can eat most of them or all of them.”

But, with the end of your career comes the plans for what comes after, your new normal. For Goedken, she finds herself being outdoors or picking up the books that have been collecting dust.

“I will have more time to work on my backhand in tennis, visit more national parks, and read the stack of books that have been on my shelf for a long time.”

While retirement is an exciting step for the workforce, it is undeniable that Mrs. Goedken, and her drive to push her students to be the best they can be, will be missed at Muscatine High School.