Recently retired English teacher Ted Smith, who worked at CHS for more than 20 years, is now retired and enjoying life outside of school. He is a kind, warm, funny man who always tries to cheer students up by showing them his dance moves. Mr. Smith wasn’t only a teacher he was a friend to other CHS staff members.
After retiring, Mr. Smith has been feeling more relaxed versus always feeling pressure to plan when he was working. His schedule has changed but he still gets up early and has his regular routine in the morning.
Mr. Smith expressed his enjoyment of his retirement. He said, “[I’m] finally sitting down for a while: It’s raining outside and I don’t feel like starting my inside chores yet.”
But his days aren’t about just sitting down. He has been doing various activities like spending more time wandering with his dogs, reading literature of his choice, and visiting his kids and granddaughter. He continues to say, “I made it to a few Mariner games this summer including game four of The ALCS with my kids; that was a special day even though they lost that one. I saw a couple concerts also:Teddy Swims and Rainbow Kitten Surprise. I’m now a Kitten Surprise fan as they have an addictive sound; Sweet Tea enjoyed that one too.”
Mr Smith explains how he doesn’t see Sweet Tea enough and needs to listen to more new music and how he always shows up when he hears something new and invigorating.
Mr. Smith continues to say, “I don’t miss the rushed feeling that accompanies the teaching profession: always more items to do than hours in the day. But I do miss my colleagues and especially young people every day. I knew I loved all the students (well mostly all) and I anticipated missing that daily interaction. Luckily, I bump into many old students regularly and I’ve attended some extra curricular activities.”
Mr. Smith hasn’t wasted a single retirement day. For him everyday counts. His biggest treat was interacting with students and hearing their new ideas. He says, “ I’m lucky to have some good friends who are still teaching so I get reminded of all the details in their school year. Most of those things I don’t miss but some of the work we did in school revealed an adventure: often with very rewarding treats along the way.”
Mr. Smith’s best decision was becoming a teacher. He says, “The last 22 years were fun, exciting, and so rewarding. I can’t believe some of the people I met through my job at Cashmere.” He never regretted a day in his life of teaching.
