Stech Ends 44-Year Teaching Career
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Stech Ends 44-Year Teaching Career
By David [email protected]
However, she spent the most time, 28 years, teaching third grade.
Now, at the end of this school year, she is retiring from the only school she has ever worked at as a teacher.
“It’s like a family atmosphere,” she said of the school. “If one person is hurting, we rally around them and help them out. Very encouraging. It’s been that way for all the years I’ve been here.”
The school is celebrating Stech June 5 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Community Grace Brethren Church/Warsaw Christian School chapel. Anyone planning to attend should RSVP by calling 574-267-5788.
Cards and personal thoughts can be delivered at the event; mailed to Warsaw Christian School, 909 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw, IN 46580; or faxed to 574-267-1486.
“I enjoy seeing former students and hearing how they have prospered, things they are doing. It means a lot,” Stech said.
Originally from Homewood, Ill., Stech earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Grace College. She earned her master’s degree from the University of St. Francis, and did additional graduate work at Ball State University for an endorsement in neurologically impaired learning disabled.
When Stech started at WCS, she taught third and fourth grade. She said she taught first through fourth grade in different ways, teaching first grade for a number of years.
“For a couple of years, I did teach special education. The last two years I taught computer lab for kindergarten to sixth grade,” Stech said.
She didn’t start out wanting to teach at the elementary school level.
“When I first came to college, I was thinking of teaching social studies at the high school level. As I progressed, I became interested in elementary education,” she said.
“Their excitement, their interests,” Stech said of what she enjoys about teaching young children. “They are excited about new things and doing things and that’s what I enjoy.”
In the computer lab, besides learning educational things, Stech said the students also learn about the computer tools. The students get excited about using them.
She remembers when Apple® computers came out in the 1980s. Stech immediately saw the benefits of computers to children and started using the computer in the classroom.
“The interest grew with that,” she said. “... It’s not just a benefit for teaching, but also enrichment for the students in the classroom.”
The advancements in technology is amazing to Stech.
“It’s just so much to keep up with. It’s changed so much. It’s easier to use the computers now than when we started out,” she said.
Education also has changed over the years.
“It’s been amazing to me to see the changes in education since I started,” she said. “So much more to learn, more demands. It’s something to look back on and think about.”
She’s also amazed when she gets to teach children of her former students.
“I enjoy it,” she said. “It’s really amazing when I tell them I had your dad in first grade, they look at me and say, ‘Huh?’”
For her retirement, Stech said she plans to do the stuff she wants to do. She’s learned to quilt, so she plans to do a lot of that. She will be free to take trips if the opportunity arrives.
“I’ll volunteer or whatever, I’m leaving it open,” she said.
Her teaching days won’t quite be over. She will continue to teach third and fourth grade for the church’s Sunday school.[[In-content Ad]]
However, she spent the most time, 28 years, teaching third grade.
Now, at the end of this school year, she is retiring from the only school she has ever worked at as a teacher.
“It’s like a family atmosphere,” she said of the school. “If one person is hurting, we rally around them and help them out. Very encouraging. It’s been that way for all the years I’ve been here.”
The school is celebrating Stech June 5 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Community Grace Brethren Church/Warsaw Christian School chapel. Anyone planning to attend should RSVP by calling 574-267-5788.
Cards and personal thoughts can be delivered at the event; mailed to Warsaw Christian School, 909 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw, IN 46580; or faxed to 574-267-1486.
“I enjoy seeing former students and hearing how they have prospered, things they are doing. It means a lot,” Stech said.
Originally from Homewood, Ill., Stech earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Grace College. She earned her master’s degree from the University of St. Francis, and did additional graduate work at Ball State University for an endorsement in neurologically impaired learning disabled.
When Stech started at WCS, she taught third and fourth grade. She said she taught first through fourth grade in different ways, teaching first grade for a number of years.
“For a couple of years, I did teach special education. The last two years I taught computer lab for kindergarten to sixth grade,” Stech said.
She didn’t start out wanting to teach at the elementary school level.
“When I first came to college, I was thinking of teaching social studies at the high school level. As I progressed, I became interested in elementary education,” she said.
“Their excitement, their interests,” Stech said of what she enjoys about teaching young children. “They are excited about new things and doing things and that’s what I enjoy.”
In the computer lab, besides learning educational things, Stech said the students also learn about the computer tools. The students get excited about using them.
She remembers when Apple® computers came out in the 1980s. Stech immediately saw the benefits of computers to children and started using the computer in the classroom.
“The interest grew with that,” she said. “... It’s not just a benefit for teaching, but also enrichment for the students in the classroom.”
The advancements in technology is amazing to Stech.
“It’s just so much to keep up with. It’s changed so much. It’s easier to use the computers now than when we started out,” she said.
Education also has changed over the years.
“It’s been amazing to me to see the changes in education since I started,” she said. “So much more to learn, more demands. It’s something to look back on and think about.”
She’s also amazed when she gets to teach children of her former students.
“I enjoy it,” she said. “It’s really amazing when I tell them I had your dad in first grade, they look at me and say, ‘Huh?’”
For her retirement, Stech said she plans to do the stuff she wants to do. She’s learned to quilt, so she plans to do a lot of that. She will be free to take trips if the opportunity arrives.
“I’ll volunteer or whatever, I’m leaving it open,” she said.
Her teaching days won’t quite be over. She will continue to teach third and fourth grade for the church’s Sunday school.[[In-content Ad]]
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