Retiring teachers share the impacts they left on students

Katya Tarabrina, Staff Writer

Seeing teachers come and go can be upsetting for students who know they won’t see their teachers next year. Through the years, many long-term teachers leave, but are not forgotten. Though they leave, it doesn’t mean students can’t celebrate what lasting memories they have left on the student body.

This year’s retirees include Debb Kidd, Conn Harrison, Diane Speigle, Dick Nelson, Butch Wichmann and Greg Hoyt. Through their years of teaching they have accomplished many things that are worth remembering, from creating clubs to new programs during school to help students.

“Each time I work with different age groups it challenges me a little bit more. I worked with both America’s Got Special Talent and the Special Olympics,” Harrison said.

He helped found America’s Got Special Talent, an event for people in Special Education, mimicking the popular show America’s Got Talent.

Often after finishing high school, classes are forgotten. But several retiring teachers at MHS still try to leave an impact on their students that will make them remember their years at MHS for a while well after.

“I think they found [Physics and Chemistry] challenging and that the courses they took prepared them well for college,” Nelson, who taught for 31 years, said. “Perhaps [I won’t remember], but the fact they were well prepared for the future is what [the students] will remember.”

Photo by Hailey Eilert
Chemistry teacher Dick Nelson hurriedly works before his next class floods in. Nelson, a science teacher of 30 years, is retiring this may.

With long term teachers, many not only teach their students about the designated subject, but also how to function as an adult outside of the school setting. Though they might not remember the subject that was taught, they will remember the memories and lessons of their favorite teachers.

Last Wednesday there was a retirement reception for all the retirees at West Campus.

“I have always tried to impress upon [students] the importance of the long-term plan. What will they need when they are 25 or 30 year old adults?” Harrison said. “Don’t just think about this next year, or next semester, or next day, think about what you really want to do in the long term. How [they can] live and be a productive member of society when they are adults.”