Torrence Retiring After 37 Years
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Torrence Retiring After 37 Years
By David [email protected]
Now after 37 years with WCS, Torrence is retiring at the end of the school year.
In an interview Tuesday morning, Torrence said Marilyn Phillips began the high-ability program at Lincoln on a volunteer basis. Torrence was teaching at Silver Lake at the time, and Ann White was at Washington Elementary. Torrence and White also began working with gifted and talented students on a volunteer basis.
The school system decided to pay the teachers a stipend for their work with high-ability students. Phillips was asked to coordinate the program, while White and Torrence were asked to work on the pullout program. WCS also hired Dr. John Feldheusen from Purdue University to help set up a Program for Academic and Creative Enrichment for the corporation.
In PACE, students were bused in two hours per week for enrichment activities. The program took place in various locations over the years.
Torrence was at Silver Lake from 1973 to 1985. She did PACE for about seven years, before teaching the pullout program the school corporation has now. The pullout program started when Harrison and Eisenhower schools were opened in 1991.
Torrence said the advantage of the pullout program is that more students can be served and their coursework isn't doubled.
The pullout program was at Eisenhower until Claypool Elementary was closed in 2004. It then moved to its current location at Lincoln Elementary.
"It's a challenge," said Torrence of teaching high-ability students. "At the time I got involved in it, it seemed like an underserved population. There was something for special education, but not high ability."
Torrence teaches the third- and fourth-grade high ability students. Gifted students in grades fifth and sixth are taught in another class.
To teach high ability, Torrence took classes at Purdue University and got an endorsement. It was fifteen hours of classes in a practicum, which is like student teaching. She also took some field classes offered around this area.
In her high-ability class, Torrence said they still teach the Indiana standards. However, they are taught in a more compact way and can be moved along quicker.
She said her class can touch on topics more in-depth. The topics the class touches on appeal more to high-ability students, including the Middle Ages, Greek mythology and fantasy where students make puppets, write a script and design scenery. They also study the various counties in Indiana.
"We also do a lot of Latin and Greek roots for vocabulary building," she said.
"In math we accelerate so they can go as fast as they want," Torrence said.
Past students of Torrence's often stay in touch with her. A former student who moved to California dropped in to see her last week. A Notre Dame sophomore stops by Torrence's class two to three times a year. Those were just two examples.
So why is she retiring?
"I guess I just thought it was time to step back," Torrence said.
While she will serve on a steering committee, she and her husband, Tim, will do some traveling. She is active in church, and enjoys crafts, reading and cooking. Janice and Tim have one son, Jason.
Torrence said highlights of her career include seeing a program develop and evolve. She enjoyed having the opportunity to write curriculum and then teaching it. She has met many wonderful parents and students over the years, and has worked with many terrific educators, she said.
"Lincoln is a pretty diverse population, so it's been really good. It's a central location. It's been a good experience here," said Torrence.
Her current students said they've had a good experience with her as their teacher, too.
"She's really nice and she listens to you when you have something to say," said fourth-grader Claire Hubner. "If you have a question about your grade, she'll try to fix it."
Third-grader Nathan Light said, "She's nice. She really does a great job of teaching. If there's a problem, you can go to her and figure it out."
"I can say I like everything about her," said third-grader Eric Harman. "We do a lot of fun projects. We've done mysteries, interviews, a lot of fun stuff. She encourages you to do your work and that's really helpful."
The best part about being in the high-ability class, third-grader Lydia Harrison said, was Torrence.
"She's a lot better than some of the other teachers I had. She encourages you, she teaches well, she answers questions."
Harrison also said, "I can tell she works really hard on her teaching and she's a really nice teacher."
Students weren't the only fans of Torrence's.
Lincoln School secretary Cindy Coppes said, "She's a delight to work with and she's just a lovely woman. It's going to be impossible to replace her."
Margaret Whitley, Lincoln principal secretary, said Torrence taught her brother at Silver Lake and taught her son in PACE.
"She truly is one of the most gracious people I know. She's such a great, gracious person. She does so many things that mean so much to people. She goes beyond being a teacher in the classroom."
One of Torrence's favorite sayings is, "The road to learning never ends."
"I'm looking forward to continuing on that road," Torrence said.[[In-content Ad]]
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Now after 37 years with WCS, Torrence is retiring at the end of the school year.
In an interview Tuesday morning, Torrence said Marilyn Phillips began the high-ability program at Lincoln on a volunteer basis. Torrence was teaching at Silver Lake at the time, and Ann White was at Washington Elementary. Torrence and White also began working with gifted and talented students on a volunteer basis.
The school system decided to pay the teachers a stipend for their work with high-ability students. Phillips was asked to coordinate the program, while White and Torrence were asked to work on the pullout program. WCS also hired Dr. John Feldheusen from Purdue University to help set up a Program for Academic and Creative Enrichment for the corporation.
In PACE, students were bused in two hours per week for enrichment activities. The program took place in various locations over the years.
Torrence was at Silver Lake from 1973 to 1985. She did PACE for about seven years, before teaching the pullout program the school corporation has now. The pullout program started when Harrison and Eisenhower schools were opened in 1991.
Torrence said the advantage of the pullout program is that more students can be served and their coursework isn't doubled.
The pullout program was at Eisenhower until Claypool Elementary was closed in 2004. It then moved to its current location at Lincoln Elementary.
"It's a challenge," said Torrence of teaching high-ability students. "At the time I got involved in it, it seemed like an underserved population. There was something for special education, but not high ability."
Torrence teaches the third- and fourth-grade high ability students. Gifted students in grades fifth and sixth are taught in another class.
To teach high ability, Torrence took classes at Purdue University and got an endorsement. It was fifteen hours of classes in a practicum, which is like student teaching. She also took some field classes offered around this area.
In her high-ability class, Torrence said they still teach the Indiana standards. However, they are taught in a more compact way and can be moved along quicker.
She said her class can touch on topics more in-depth. The topics the class touches on appeal more to high-ability students, including the Middle Ages, Greek mythology and fantasy where students make puppets, write a script and design scenery. They also study the various counties in Indiana.
"We also do a lot of Latin and Greek roots for vocabulary building," she said.
"In math we accelerate so they can go as fast as they want," Torrence said.
Past students of Torrence's often stay in touch with her. A former student who moved to California dropped in to see her last week. A Notre Dame sophomore stops by Torrence's class two to three times a year. Those were just two examples.
So why is she retiring?
"I guess I just thought it was time to step back," Torrence said.
While she will serve on a steering committee, she and her husband, Tim, will do some traveling. She is active in church, and enjoys crafts, reading and cooking. Janice and Tim have one son, Jason.
Torrence said highlights of her career include seeing a program develop and evolve. She enjoyed having the opportunity to write curriculum and then teaching it. She has met many wonderful parents and students over the years, and has worked with many terrific educators, she said.
"Lincoln is a pretty diverse population, so it's been really good. It's a central location. It's been a good experience here," said Torrence.
Her current students said they've had a good experience with her as their teacher, too.
"She's really nice and she listens to you when you have something to say," said fourth-grader Claire Hubner. "If you have a question about your grade, she'll try to fix it."
Third-grader Nathan Light said, "She's nice. She really does a great job of teaching. If there's a problem, you can go to her and figure it out."
"I can say I like everything about her," said third-grader Eric Harman. "We do a lot of fun projects. We've done mysteries, interviews, a lot of fun stuff. She encourages you to do your work and that's really helpful."
The best part about being in the high-ability class, third-grader Lydia Harrison said, was Torrence.
"She's a lot better than some of the other teachers I had. She encourages you, she teaches well, she answers questions."
Harrison also said, "I can tell she works really hard on her teaching and she's a really nice teacher."
Students weren't the only fans of Torrence's.
Lincoln School secretary Cindy Coppes said, "She's a delight to work with and she's just a lovely woman. It's going to be impossible to replace her."
Margaret Whitley, Lincoln principal secretary, said Torrence taught her brother at Silver Lake and taught her son in PACE.
"She truly is one of the most gracious people I know. She's such a great, gracious person. She does so many things that mean so much to people. She goes beyond being a teacher in the classroom."
One of Torrence's favorite sayings is, "The road to learning never ends."
"I'm looking forward to continuing on that road," Torrence said.[[In-content Ad]]
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