Dale:
Sorry to take so long since 12/20, however, school closed on the 19th
and we headed (my husband and I) for Atlanta to have an early Christmas
with our sons and their families.  We're home now for a brief two days
and then head to Washington for weekend with friends.  Teachers must get
going when there is freedom!  This vacation is longest we ever remember.  
        Back to teaching - it is so great to hear someone else is in it
or desires to stay in because they LOVE teaching.  We have been in
teaching as second career people also.  My first career was medical
secretary for specialists.  I raised my children and then went back to
get another degree in education at the age of 35.  I just finished 20
years and my husband finished 15th.  We hope to continue for as long as
we can keep up with it.  Middle school is a most difficult age as you
well know having raised some.  But it is challenging and difficult to
think of not being involved in it.
        We take students, middle school and high school, to Europe on
cultural tours most every summer.  It is a unique experience and that is
how we get to travel almost everywhere we wish to see or go.  Our
curiousity grows with each trip. And so, we travel a little more each
year.  One of the tremendous benefits of such trips is to watch students
discover the world out there.  To find others of other cultures doing
many of the same things they do here in America and to know that others
have distinctive life styles differing from their own.  
        My field is communication, therefore, I spend most of my
teaching time in English, language arts, writing and speech.  My sister
and brother-in-law are professors at UD in Dayton,Ohio so I get a great
deal of assistance from them in preparing my students for college, armed
services, or vocational schools.  Most of my students are college bound
so I stay in touch with what's happening to todays' college students.
Some of my students become exchange students for a year so spend 5 years
in high school as they are required to repeat whatever grade they take
in Europe.  Seems strange USA is behind and yet requires this?!
        My husband loves hearing about other men in teaching.  He feels
very much in the minority in his field.  He teaches math and has mostly
algebra - prealgebra students in 7th grade.  Most of his students take
the Duke talent studies - qualify with SAT scores - meeting average 12th
grade scores.  Their problems deal mainly with difficulties getting
along socially - communicating.
        It's a delight to hear such positive reinforcement from the
frozen tundra.  Teaching is a love, not a career as far as we're
concerned.  It not only keeps us young, it keeps us on our "toes" with
the latest.  We hope to be in it for another 10 years, at least.  So
much is going on now that is bound to be change for the better at least
in public school teaching.  Your field is bound to see improvement
within the next few years as a result.  SPEECH is back as a requirement
now in lower grades.  WOW!  Never though I'd see it back again, but
they,
whoever they are, have found students lacking in oral skills.  Must be
TV.  We also have seen a comeback in phonics.  This time maybe this will
be tempered with a liberal sprinkling of creativity and not overphonics
the little ones to death once again.
        Have you dug out of your 8 feet of snow yet?  YUK!  From an old
Michigander, no thanks.  We get just enough in the mountains to remind
us it is winter.  Then about the time we're sick of it and the skis, the
warmer, gentler spring is upon us.  We have become good southerners in
the past 25 years.
        Lori
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