Who Will Teach the Children? A Concern Raised from My Upcoming Retirement…
I have always hated the teacher t-shirt that says the three best things about teaching are June, July, and August. What a terrible image to portray about teaching!
Just recently someone commented innocently on my retirement social media post that I could now do all the things I wanted to do, and a former teacher lashed back that the comment insinuated that I hadn’t enjoyed doing what I have done for the last thirty-four years. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I have loved working with my students. I have loved developing lessons, creating units of study, working with talented educators, seeing students grow and change, discovering who they were – and years later seeing them reaching all of their potential. For more than half of my life, I have been an English teacher and proud of it.
Retirement. Ever since I announced that this would be my last year in the classroom, I have been inundated with comments from fellow educators. Most have been congratulatory, but others have left me wondering about the current state of education. So many comments indicate envy. Many tell me that they wish they were retiring too. They tell me that they have X number of years left, if they can make it that long. I never counted years until recently, which was an indication that it was time for me to move on. However, these people telling me that they’re longing for their turn to retire are young.
Many comments are about longevity. One colleague referred to me as an angel to have been an educator this long while still smiling and staying positive about teaching. Others exclaim that they will never last as long as I did. These are also young teachers.
That there is going to be a teacher shortage is a fact. Collegiate friends tell me that the number of education majors drops annually. Who will teach the children in the future? Will those currently teaching in schools have longevity? What can be done to keep them there?
I don’t think these questions are hard to figure out.
Educators need to be respected by their administrators, colleagues, students, students’ parents, and community.
Educators need to have autonomy and be trusted to make the best decisions for the students in front of them.
Educators need to be creative and allowed to do what is best for the children in their care.
Educators need to work in a supportive environment where morale is high and positive energy fills the work space.
Educators need to be appreciated for their hard work and extra efforts.
Educators need to be surrounded by those who challenge them to be their best selves so they can provide the best for their students.
Educators need to be encouraged to keep learning so that their students will have the best learning experiences possible.
And the biggest one of all…
Educators need colleagues who will encourage them, support them, help them, and work with them to build a community of learning full of positive energy and respect. It is more important than ever to find your professional home, and I hope WPCTE can be that for you.
I have been fortunate in my years of teaching to have been a small part of thousands of students’ lives. I have been blessed to work with many incredible educators, mentor so many skilled college students who now have classrooms of their own, and work under the guidance of administrators whose hearts have been in the right place – doing all they could to better the lives of the students.
Happily, my educational journey is far from over. I may be leaving my classroom – and the checking of thousands of essays behind – but I am not leaving education. As the Executive Director of WPCTE, I am so fortunate to be connected to educators throughout our area and to further education through our conference, online professional development, and networking with NCTE and its affiliates. I also recently completed graduate studies to earn my Letter of Endorsement for Instructional Coaching and have begun my new business, Carol Frow Coaching. Soon, I will be working with teachers to help them better instruct their students. So, I’ll not be leaving working with students either as I intend to run book clubs and writing groups for students through my local library.
Retirement. I think I may be busier than ever while staying positive about education. And still smiling.
Printed originally on the WPCTE Blog, June 2025.