by Jonah Mays

Retirement is the reward people get for dedicating the better part of their life to a job of their choosing. The idea is they retire and live out the rest of their days, spending time with their family and enjoying their life. Teachers, however, often elect to come back year after year, even after retirement.

“I get to choose my days to come in and work, but I’m gonna work, so that makes it nice,” Freeda Russell, a retired teacher, said. “I enjoy being with my kids, still teaching.”

Russell said she enjoys retirement because she can decide when she comes to work and if she doesn’t want to, she doesn’t have to work. Many teachers come back and work as substitute teachers, enjoying the benefits of retirement and doing what they love.

“I enjoy being able to sleep later in the morning, and take my time getting up and drinking coffee, and watching the birds outside my window every morning,” Judy Foxx, another retired teacher, said.

Foxx mentions that she enjoys retirement, but she misses the students and some of her fellow teachers. She said retirement has benefits such as extra sleep, freedom to do what you want, and a more relaxed lifestyle. However, she goes on, a teacher’s love for the job will eventually bring them back to it.