# 31

Tomorrow is the first day of my 31st year in education. Goodness gracious, where have the years gone? In the last several years, I have had the pleasure of having kids of former students in my classroom and as of late, I'm having grandchildren of my former elementary and high school classmates. Could I really be this old? Will I look "old" to the new charges that come my way this year? Will they tell the people who ask them, "Who is your teacher?" that she is Mrs. Gillenwater and she has white hair and has trouble with her old knees?

Today at Target, I saw a student that I had last year in class. He was/is one of my favorite kids. He came running over to me and gave me a great big hug. I talked with him and his parents about him going to first grade and they said how he has already talked about leaving Mrs. Gillenwater and how much he is going to miss me. I told him that he had better not love his first grade teacher more than he loves me. He assured me that wouldn't happen. Before we parted, he said, "I smell Kindergarten." We all looked at each other and inquired what Kindergarten smelled like. He replied, "I don't know, but it smells good."

Maybe, just maybe, these new recruits will be my last as I hope to retire after this year--the good Lord willing and our board negotiating team will agree to proposed articles such as assistance with health insurance after retirement. Two teachers that started teaching the same day I did, decided that this past year would be their last and were able to retire due to the good benefits of early retirement offered by the county system. I have to admit, I'm jealous! They don't have to get up and head out in the morning for a week long in-service and the first day of school next Monday.

In the morning, as I dust off the box labeled "Beginning of School", it may be my last time I do so. There is a twinge of sadness. I've hugged, loved, disciplined, comforted, instructed, patted, encouraged, laughed with, cried over, hundreds of Kindergarten and middle school-aged students. Some have gone to be productive members of society such as getting doctorate degrees in physics, becoming nurses, teachers, moms, dads, etc. when on the other hand, some made some not-so-wise choices and have had to spend time in prison. No matter their outcome, at one time they were precious children who were in my care and on my roll. Hopefully, they will remember something positive about our time together in the classroom and maybe they, too, will remember that it not only smelled good, but it was all good.