I'm not sure if this fits here, but well, here it goes... I retired from teaching last June. I'm a young retiree having only reached the age of 58 (at the time). After about 6 months, I took a call from our school district's assistant superintendent. She asked me to consider becoming a substitute teacher. So I did. Heck the extra money helped the pension go a little further. Long story longer, I ended up filling a position for 6 weeks at the end of the year. I knew what was coming. The superintendent put the strong arm on me and asked me to come out of retirement and to start a new middle school agriculture program at the school I substituted in. You know the rest of the story. She was one of my assistant principals and was a very good ally for budget reasons when she went to the district office. Plus, she is a farmer. How could I resist? I accepted the position and just finished a certification for middle school agriculture curriculum (have I mentioned that I previously taught high school for my entire career?). So, now, I'm considering growing a beard again so I don't have to shave 4 mornings a week again. I really got used to shaving a couple (2-4) of times a week. My gal pal (we object to the terms girlfriend and boyfriend since we are neither girls or boys anymore and are more than friends) likes me with a beard - in fact, quite a lot! I still enjoy shaving when I do. Advice friends - shave every day again or go for the Santa Claus look?
Threw me for a loop there, until I re-read it. Thought you had gone super woke until I realized it was an age reference and not a gender identity reference. In my area (Salem, Oregon), most of the 'teachers' have multicolored hair and are in their 20's, and don't strike me as particularly good role models for impressionable children. When I was in school, it was commonly accepted that teachers were there to teach children how to think for themselves, and if you knew the teacher's political views, religious views, and (to some extent) relationship status, they had failed miserably as a teacher. It's not that way anymore, unfortunately. If your significant other likes you with a beard, I say keep it. You can always shave the neck line.
Yup. I tried a beard after retiring from the Air Force. I was overly picky about the trim line on the neck and cheeks being even, so much so I shaved it off. Sometimes I do wish I could grow a beard and have it look good. Oh, well. Good thing I enjoy my daily shave. You do you
I thought about growing a beard after I retired until I remembered that they are really not flattering on women.
I am at a different place in life. I am finishing a second masters so I can teach in retirement. I have absolutely no plans to sit around during my older years.
Oh my ........... I thought I was looking in the mirror ....... except I wear glasses ...................................................... crap we're twins.
Looking good @Enrico ! I've settled in on my shaving strategy. I will shave the 4 days a week I teach (using the synthetic brush I received from the traveling box a few years ago and which coincidently was knotted by @Enrico ) and not shave for the weekend, unless, of course, the aforementioned gal pal wants to go out. I'll likely wait until Thanksgiving Break to start on a beard (kicked off the weekend before and with a 10 day break, I ought to be good). After that, I'll do as I have every other time I've worn a beard over the past 40ish years and keep the neck and cheeks clean and groomed.
