All we are is dust in the wind

A couple of weeks ago an agreement was reached with my former (and only) school employer to return to coach high school UIL Speech and UIL Social Studies. This was not something I solicited, but when the call came, I was open to the possibility of another season participating on my chosen playing field: the extracurricular classroom.

The decision is one that I mulled for a few months. There were discussions with my girls, my sisters, and a couple of close friends as well as prayerful time alone. All of that to say that returning to THIS kind of work was a thoughtful process.

Financial reasons are, of course, paramount. I am the family dropout when it comes to money management. Beyond that, however, I am also the family member whose heart admittedly beats a little faster when I consider being in a classroom again.

This time around I’ll be partnering with another recent retiree who will assume the role of UIL coordinator and coach. She’s younger than I am by a mile—and just finished three years working with many of these same students. Her leadership role and builtin rapport with the students will be very beneficial. Kelly Gordon knows her stuff.

I understand the high expectations; however, it might be a good idea to gather testimonials from some former state qualifiers and champions to reassure the new speech students. Many of our shining moments were preceded by the awkward learning years, the deflating rounds where more experienced opponents soundly whipped us. It would be the “trust the process” motto we shared that enabled us to walk out of those rounds with some giggles and some tears and above all encouragement. The hard work would eventually lead to dividends. It will be worth sharing with these new young speakers that getting a break here and there helps, too. Even debate rounds can hinge on a coin flip, just as it does in a sudden-death scenario of an NFL playoff game.

Speaking of NFL, please do not compare me to the likes of Tom Brady or Brett Favre, who came out of retirement. My ego got checked at the door a long time ago. Pride in my work has never left the building. My body is tired, but a mental joy remains for the challenge of learning with students. I want the same thing I did before I retired: watch students grow in their ability to think, reason, analyze, and communicate. And, above all, to flat out have a good time doing so.

This twilight return to this career will not include paper grading or in-service. I’ll focus on just being an encourager, lecturer, researcher, teacher, challenger, thought-provoker, listener, and advocate. What will drive my competitiveness will be the students’ goals. My personal goals are to get students to laugh at me and themselves, lose some weight, and develop better fiscal habits.

In the late ’70s, the rock band Kansas hit the charts with “Dust in the Wind.” So fitting for our West Texas and Panhandle geography. So fitting for me. I cannot seem to settle, so I might as well let the wind carry me to several places in the year to come.

Home base will remain El Sueño in Fisher County. I gave my word to daughter Julie that I would not let my passion project—writing a book about my grandmother—go by the wayside. Still, don’t be surprised if you see me in Snyder, Gail, Spur, Guthrie, Paducah, or Shamrock on any given day. I’m starting another one-day job in August on Tuesdays, but I’ll save that story for later.

Snyder, Texas, native Sue Jane Sullivan is a retired schoolteacher whose thoughtprovoking commentary appears occasionally in several West texas newspapers, including The Texas Spur and The Caprock Courier.