Monday, May 31, 2021

A Tree after 30 Years of Teaching



After 30 years of teaching, my school planted a tree in my name. Actually, I have taught at Upper Valley Career Center for 31 years. But, due to delays brought on by COVID-19's impact, the purchase and subsequent planting was delayed a year. 

Actually (#2), I have 33.6 years of teaching service, counting teaching and substitute teaching at the Toledo Public Schools early in my career.

I expect to teach at least another decade. I get up every morning and look forward to the work day. That's a definite plus. Dreading each workday would be difficult, although, for a myriad of reasons, I know some people manage it.


One of the advantages of working at a Career Tech school is that the Landscape Management class picked the spot (near where I park each morning so I can see the tree) and planted it.

If you cannot tell from the picture, it is a dogwood tree. I picked the tree, thinking that having the tree featured on my novel Fairyed's cover would be neat. (Cover art created by Drazenka Kimple) Plus, it's an attractive tree, especially in the spring. 

I'd wanted a white pine, but the Landscape Management instructor said the soil and other factors made it a poor choice, so I went with the dogwood.


My planned third choice was a hawthorn. However, the thorns, and the odor of the otherwise nice blossoms, would've probably made it a less than optimum alternative. And a tree that produces hedge apples, even less so.

Maybe that all says something about me.

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