Things change

I received word last week that the first principal I ever worked under (Mr. Delk) passed away. He had been battling Multiple Sclerosis for a long time, but I was still surprised and saddened to hear of his death. This news caused me to take a serious look back at my 25 year teaching career and I was shocked at how much things have changed. When you work in the same building for that long, things seem to change very slowly or even not at all. But the more I reminisced, the more I realized how drastically things have changed. I have now moved into my fifth classroom. I have taught four different grade levels in my career and I am getting ready to work under my fourth principal. Several thousand students have come and gone and many colleagues have come and gone as well. The neighborhood where I grew up and where I now teach is unrecognizable to me. What used to be a stable, middle class neighborhood, is now anything but that.

Yes, things certainly have changed. Even though I haven't necessarily noticed it was happening. I can't begin to imagine what things will look like 10 years from now when I retire.