When I report for a testing in-service tomorrow morning, it will officially mark the beginning of my 50th year in education: 33 years full-time and 17 part-time.  As I ponder that, I wonder how it can be true. Sure, I remember casually commenting early in my first year of teaching that I wanted to teach for 50 years but I was delusional at the time.
 
I just renewed my teaching certificate for 10 years, the minimum a teacher can renew for in the Commonwealth of Virginia effective this year. I suspect it will be my last renewal as I will be almost 80 when this certificate expires on June 30, 2031. Even so, I will work to collect the minimum of 270 renewal points just in case I am around to renew it.
 
I am doing the work I began doing in the fall of 1972 – I am teaching students mathematics. There is a sense of coming full circle that is extremely satisfying as I help students taking Algebra 1 learn the skills they need to pass the Standards of Learning Test. The best thing I do in this process is convincing them I believe in them so they should believe in themselves.
 
I will meet my students on Monday, July 19th at 7:30 a.m. I am as excited as I was that August day in 1972 when I met my very first students. Why? It is simple, really. Teaching is a work of heart!