Everything in high school is constantly changing, but the teachers are consistent. Each year, the teachers at Groves do more than just teach; they guide and support students. Students build relationships with their teachers throughout the years, so what happens when you find out your teacher will not be returning in the fall?
This year, Birmingham Public Schools has offered a buyout to all teachers who have worked in the district for at least 12 years. A handful of teachers at Groves have taken the buyout and will not be returning to Groves next fall.
Many teachers have planned when they wanted to retire, but with the buyout, many teachers’ retirements have been rescheduled to now.
“1985 is when I graduated from high school. That’s 40 years ago. I think it’s important to have teachers in classrooms that can really relate to kids. It was a good opportunity to go,” Susan Warrow, a teacher at Groves, said. Teachers wake up every weekday to watch their students learn and grow. The teachers have seen students become passionate about their subject matter year after year. There is no doubt that they will miss their students.
“I’ll miss collaborating with my colleagues, taking chances in the classroom, watching students get excited about my subject matter, and maybe even majoring in my subject matter in college,” Jason Wagner, a teacher at Groves, said. Groves teachers will miss so much about Groves, but the students will be what they will miss most.
“The students are amazing [and] very accepting of each other. They help and work with each other without me even prompting,” Veronica Belf, an art teacher and National Art Honors Society (NAHS) advisor, said. Groves is known for its accepting and inclusive environment that the students and teachers create. The environment students created is an example of the many ways Groves students make a positive impact that the teachers will miss.
“I will miss my NAHS group because those are the kids that really, really want to do art and have a passion for it,” Belf said. Groves’ participation is another thing that teachers will miss. Students at Groves are encouraged to participate in school sports, clubs and activities as early as freshman year. This creates a community that is involved and unified. A community that teachers will miss.
“I am moving back into corporate. I started in corporate, got into teaching, and now my wife and I are business owners, and so I’m gonna go work at our business,” Wagner said. The teachers retiring have plans after retirement, and working is part of their plan. Mr. Wagner is planning on working as a chief financial officer at an architect firm.
“I’ve been online looking at different jobs. I’ll probably sub here for like the art teachers for sure. I’m going to work part-time, so that just means maybe a couple days a week,” Belf said. The teacher’s retirement may look like the end of an era, but it is the start of an era for them. They will be able to try new activities and do the activities they love. Retiring will give them the time and opportunity to do so.
“So I’ll be able to set my own hours and schedule. It will allow me to play some more pickleball, which is like my favorite thing to do,” Belf said. Sometimes, it is hard to imagine our teachers having lives outside of the classroom, but they’re so much more than just teachers, and retiring will give them more time to do what they love.
“I’m really happy about retiring. I tend to try to view change in life as something that’s really normal and necessary for everybody to be at their best,” Warrow said. Change is something good that creates new opportunities. The teachers’ retirement from Groves will be an opportunity for new teachers to make their impact on Groves.
The teachers’ retirement is bittersweet. They are leaving, and students will not be in class with them daily. However, it will allow the teachers to spend more time on their favorite activities, and will give an opportunity for new teachers to build relationships with their students. Groves students will miss the teachers who are retiring this year, and we wish them well on whatever they choose to do next.
