Messages
A Few Words and Well Wishes
Bill...thanks for introducing me to the “Louder Than a Bomb” events and the countless times we spent talking during the passing period and playing ‘catch”. I have spent more time playing ‘catch’ with you than I have my own children and pets. ☺Be well, my friend, and enjoy every moment of retirement. You earned it. You deserve it. Peace.
A few years back you presented me with a gift; I was hesitant for a second to take it, as I was convinced your dry humor was at play and you were setting me up. I was a bit embarrassed when I opened a beautiful ornament and thoughtful note thanking me for my efforts with summer reading. I think that’s the gift of people like you, Bill, you’re always quietly noticing and then recognizing others, colleagues and students alike, in the most meaningful ways possible.
Bill, thank you so much for welcoming me into Slam Club here at East and allowing me to sit in my first year and watch you in action. I learned so much from you. You are an encyclopedia of knowledge, and I am certain I will continue to reach out to you for guidance. Your kindness and love for your students is evident in all that you do. You will be greatly missed at East. Enjoy your retirement!
When I envision an English teacher, I will always picture Bill Littell. You are such an interesting person with many talents. I remember going to an after school performance by one of our students, it was so amazing! It was one of many things that you did behind the scenes that harnessed the talents of our students. I will never forget you interviewing me to be your T.A. Thankfully, I passed your test because I learned a ton being in your classroom! Godspeed, buddy! Go dominate the world of Pickleball…… and retirement.
A few years back you shared that you kept a notebook of all the funny, kind, thoughtful things that your kids did and said when they were young and you often read through it as a family now that they are older and off on their own. I loved this idea very much as I shared a few silly memories of my own children. The very next day I found a purple notebook with a note from you saying that you now have an official family memory notebook of your own. We add to it often and I always think of you. Thank you for helping me to document these crazy years for my family. Best wishes in your retirement! You will be missed dearly.
Words cannot express how much you mean to this department and community. From you throwing a ball in the hallway to your “dry humor” all of this was your way to make all feel welcomed and a part of something. Your observations of situations and plans to bridge gaps is something that guided so many, and your drive to always become better did not go unnoticed. These acts, like so many others, were accomplished with grace and dignity, with little fanfare or credit, but provided others courage to use their voices in other arenas. Take care my friend, and see you down the road.
Congratulations on an incredible career and a well-deserved retirement. I’m glad I had the opportunity to meet you before you move on to your next phase of life!
Congratulations! Our time working together may have been brief, but I know that I will be striving to fill your very creative shoes for years to come. Thank you for your guidance. I hope retirement is filled with lots of literature and even more Pickleball.
Congrats, Bill. Have a long, healthy, and glorious retirement! Looking forward to your “California Gurls” remix!
Bill, you were the mentor assigned to me as I started my career 26 years ago. And over the years, you have taught me so much more than simply what good teaching looks like. I have been truly blessed to call you my friend. I’ll miss our impromptu discussions about family, faith, and even tech issues:) Thank you for imparting your wisdom to me when I needed it most. You are a blessing to me, my friend! I wish you all the best in your retirement. I’m looking forward to hearing your Pickleball exploits! Please keep in touch.
Your ever present kindness to me and to your students is a gift that we will treasure forever. Thank you for teaching me the slam poetry ropes, for hand-delivering talent to our club’s front door, and for always being supportive. Enjoy every moment of your retirement and all the books to come.
I will always remember your “less is more” mantra. What you chose to focus on in your teaching was always meaningful for kids, your words at department meetings and PLC’s were impactful, and your passion for students and the language arts was powerful! East will definitely miss you!
What a legacy you have at East! How wonderful that you can look back on these years knowing all the lives you have touched. I will say that I have never had a better curriculum work day than the time when you shared a bunch of your stories—some are seared in my memory because they were so hilarious. No longer will you open the door of Room 315 early in the morning, but now you can move on to a new phase of your life. Enjoy it—you deserve it!
Years back you passed on an assignment for creative writing that was just pages and pages of one-liner journal prompts along with a stack of other writing exercises. Those materials — filled with ways to get students to create and express their voice— helped me understand why so many students have valued you over the years. I still find ways to use many of them in all my classes and will continue to do so because students love them. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement, knowing your influence will carry on.
Years ago, you handed out holiday cards saying that a gift in our names was given to a charity that supplies animals to farmers and villages around the world to help them become more self-sufficient. My, then young, kids loved this idea. So, for the past 10 years or so we have donated chicks, bees, goats, etc through that charity to communities in need. You started a great family tradition and helped teach my kids the value of charity and seeing beyond their small world of privilege. Thanks my friend. Enjoy your retirement!
Bill, I’ll just tell you straight up that if my kids went to school at East, you’d have been the tip top of my list of who I’d want for their English teacher. Maybe in retirement you can school me in some pickleball. Will really miss you!
Congratulations, Bill! It has been a short time, and a crazy year here but I am glad to have worked with you! I wish you the best!!
Thank you for your friendship and your immeasurable impact on our department. You created opportunities for students who did not always fit the traditional mold of what we were tasked to teach. So many of our students finally felt validated, inspired, and seen-and this is a credit to YOU. On a personal level, I will truly miss our many talks in your classroom about life as an introvert :-), our education system, and our families. You have shared so much wisdom with me over the years, and I am forever grateful for the time and interest you always took in truly listening to me.
Bill, when I think of you, I think of an iceberg. There is a depth and thoughtfulness to you that extends deep below the surface. Thank you for your commitment to our students and consistent wisdom in our English 2 PLC. One of my favorite memories was when you confronted Bob McBride during the DC interviews in 2007. If I close my eyes, I can picture you both in the administrative conference room, sitting awkwardly close to one another and you calling Bob out for botching the interview process. I believe your words were, “You have completely manipulated this entire process.” Followed by Bob turning bright red and having no real response to your straight talk. As a first year teacher, I was in awe of your veteran courage and willingness to speak to truth to power. Enjoy retirement!
Bill: A Haiku
Kind, dedicated,
Creative, teacher, leader
Enjoy retirement!
