I'M A RETIRED FROM PRE-K ....RETIRED SINCE 2010....I WATCHED THESE WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED...THEY'RE FUN TO REWATCH....YOU'VE GOTTEN MORE COMFORTABLE TALKING TO US...REALLY ENJOY WATCHING....THANKS

The best part of teacher retirement is looking back k on your journey and laughing and smiling about it.

So many of us have miracle first job stories. I got my first job after the rowdy class had run off two teachers by October AND I knew a lady that worked there. Who you know matters!

Those early videos are still some of my favorite ones. It was about that time I was near retirement (from a middle school office, so I saw a lot of things too! lol). It’s just so relatable to me, your videos and the little spoofs Gerry Brooks puts out because whether here in Ohio, in Georgia or whatever state…it’s all the same! Good times.

My husband got his teaching position because a woman didn't come back after the FIRST day of teaching. Love your videos!

Interesting video. I retired from teaching in 2013. I remember back at the time when I was student teaching there was a teacher who had to go on emergency maternity leave and they were having an awful time finding a long term sub for her. They wanted to pull me out of student teaching and have me be her sub. The college made a deal with the school district and said that if someone would come into my classroom and observe me for 30 minutes every day then they would allow me to do it. At the end of the year they handed me an application which was pretty much a formality. I got a job very easily and taught in that district 30 year....retired at age 51. You're right about being able to retire at a young age. It's great!!!!

My first years of teaching I was excited to succeed as a teacher, by retirement I’ve mastered teaching.

Good video Chris. I always held a high regard towards teachers and oftentimes wondered what teachers were like outside the classroom, for example like strict or more layed back. Guess we're all just human and everyone is different.

It took me four years to complete a two year degree. That’s because I was in the hospital for 3-1/2 months followed by two years of treatments. I only missed one semester and graduated with honors, but it took a lot of determination. I agree, networking with people in your field makes a lot of difference in getting a job out of college. I went to work for a neurosurgeon just a couple months after I graduated.

It is unfortunate that you didn't get the principal job. But that explains why there are so many bad admins out there. For my first teaching job as a career changer, it didn't matter who I knew. I work in a large urban district and they needed teachers! But that got my foot in the door. I have been very fortunate in my career. Added a couple of credentials after that. I did just get a preliminary teaching credential in a province in Canada and am hoping to work there. My philosophy of life is to keep learning and getting educated and never give up. I do miss the older days of teaching. I was able to make mistakes and not have them noticed but I could learn from them. Even though you didn't have what you think of as good teacher preparation, I worship the teachers who started teaching in the 70's and 80's. There is just something so wonderful about them and I learned so much from their them.

Took me 5 years to graduate from college too. Then again, at a couple of points I was working 3 jobs, 65 hours a week and going to school full-time. Yes, it killed my GPA.

I understand completely. My first teaching job was a 1st/2nd combination class in 1969. I walked in that classroom and had no idea how to teach these kids how to read.We muddled through and they did learn to read. My principal gave me a Bible story book and told m that you will read a story and have the pledge of allegiance every day until they drag me out of here. No one ever said anything.

I bet you did see some wild stuff back then! My Dad always wanted me to become a teacher and so I gave it some serious thought and was wanting to go that route, but then I started realizing that kids were not being brought up with discipline and rules like which I was brought up. I also was reared having attended parochial private school and that was my mindset for how a classroom should be, and that's when I deeply realized that I may not be able to teach in that type of school setting and would I be ready for public school teaching? NO!!! Even though back then the public school teachers made more money. NOT SO TODAY! My former parochial school (K-8) costs as much as a Junior College these days! But, I digress. I was not going to be able to handle the kids and I would have yelled at them too much, since that's what my parents did a lot of to us kids. Oh well, I have a nice career these days, just no early retirement.

You always remember that’s Principal that gives you your big break ❤

Chris...with a mustache. Must see that!

It has always been, "Who You Know'. Unfortunately, humans are clich'ish. Always. It is a wise strategy to network within your community via chartity events, walk a thons, etc, join groups that are in your chosen profession. It helps.

You graduated on the fast track compared to me.

Oh please show us a picture of you with a mullet and a Tom Selleck moustache!!!!🤞

Want to see mullet and mustache.

Took me 6 years to complete that teaching credential, the experience was so traumatic I still haven’t asked for the paper credential and didn’t even go to my credential graduation. 😂.