May 13

Written by: ngreditor
5/13/2008 7:35 PM 

Still calm after a day at the elementary track meet, Mrs. Buhl reflects on her years of teaching students the wonders of learning.

After years of discoveries, first grade teacher retires

Kenneth Purscell

“When you teach, you get to be around all these ‘Aha!’ moments when students suddenly figure something out. That’s one of the things I’ll miss.”

For 34 years Mary Jo Buhl has been sharing these flashes of discovery with her students. The last 17 years have found her teaching first grade at Newman Grove Public Schools. A generation-and- a-half of youngsters has come through her room.

But when the school year ends, it will bring a close to this remarkable career. Mary Jo will retire. But she takes a lot of memories with her, particularly those of her students performing.

“I started teaching at Bunker Hill School near St. Edward,” she says, “and then I taught for 13 years at District 40. And in those schools, things like the Christmas program were important for the community.

“There was a little stage and a little alleyway for students to come and go. We sang musicals and carols, and they all had to memorize their parts. And everyone from the neighborhood came because it was important to every family.”

She could be a lot more independent in country schools. But even when she began teaching in town, Mary Jo used plays and performances as a teaching tool. The last week of classes will see her first grade students perform their plays several times.

Teaching was a natural thing for her to do. “My mother was a teacher,” she says. “I have three sisters who are also teachers. When I was in high school I would teach in the Sunday school. It’s just something I’ve always done.

“I have taught children of former students,” she says laughing. “But I haven’t taught any of their grandchildren yet, and I’m not sure I’d want to do that!”

Three and a half decades have brought some changes to the classroom. “Technology is probably the biggest difference,” Mary Jo says. “Country school kids were elated with a reel to reel movie. Now everyone expects to look at a video or work with a computer.”

The other major change has been the increase in testing. “I really don’t mind. We’ve always had to give achievement tests. But they decide on how to do things and what to test for, and we do that, and then they decide to change everything. That has made it hard.”

Mary Jo has some plans for retirement. “I’d like to do a little traveling. Not far; I’d like to see Chimney Rock and other things in Nebraska that I’ve never seen. I want to spend more time with Dale and with my family. I’d like to garden, but I really hope I’ll find more time to read.”

She says she will miss being around other teachers, but most especially she’ll miss being around the children. “First graders can say the silliest things,” she laughs. “But then you look in their eyes and see everything fit together. And they’re still young enough to get excited. That’s what I’ll miss. Just being by the students every day. You have to enjoy them to be able to teach.”

We thank you, Mary Jo, for enjoying your work so much and for so long.