Sitting in the third row, English teacher Carrie Cavanaugh pays close attention as one of her students presents their final project in front of the superintendent and principal. As nervous and excited as her students are, she thinks of how far they have come with her guidance. She is extremely proud of their progress, eager to see what they have in store for the rest of her final year teaching.
Having graded her last paper, Cavanaugh is exchanging her gradebook and school keys for a beach towel and umbrella as she heads off into retirement.
In 28 years of teaching, Cavanaugh spent a lot of time around and learned a lot about teenagers. “I learned that society doesn't always give them the credit they deserve for being the wonderful humans they are: intelligent, passionate, hilarious, kind problem-solvers who truly care about the world they will soon be entering as adults,” she mused. Cavanaugh considered this the most important thing she learned about the teens she was surrounded by.
Cavanaugh also learned the importance of flexibility as a skill in teaching. “Flexibility is significant -- with yourself, your students and your colleagues,” she said. “This is something it took me a while to figure out.” When situations didn't pan out as she planned them, Cavanaugh used to get stressed out. “It's always good to have a plan/vision about how things will go in your classroom, but it's equally as important to allow yourself to be flexible,” she explained.
Though she would miss the people and teaching, there were aspects of working at the high school that Cavanaugh was happy to move on from. “I will NOT miss the planning and grading -- evenings, weekends, over breaks, etc,” she said. “I'm sure it will be a bit strange at first, but not having to set an alarm and just having more time to do the things I enjoy will be super easy for me to get accustomed to.”
Cavanaugh was happy with her time at Plainfield. “I honestly cannot think of anything I would change,” she admitted. “PHS is a top-notch school with top-notch students. I do hate the cell phones, but Indiana law took care of that for next year.”
In order to retain the relationships she acquired at Plainfield, Cavanaugh planned to keep in touch. “I will make an effort to stay in touch with these special people by spending time with them socially,” she said.
Cavanaugh felt prepared for her retirement and ready to move on from her teaching career. “Although I love my students and colleagues, I'm becoming tired more easily, and less energized than I used to be,” she said. “Last summer, I had a healthy exercise routine and was reading more books for leisure; and I'm looking forward to getting back into that sort of a routine.”
Having spent her time at Plainfield teaching alongside her husband, social studies teacher Pat Cavanaugh, she was excited to take this next step of her life with him. “It will be amazing. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work closely with my husband,” she said. “I'm even more lucky to have the best travel partner in the cosmos. We are looking forward to exploring more new places together … whenever we want to.”
Despite not exactly having a retirement bucket list in place, Cavanaugh still had a plan. “I would love to be able to help out at my grandson's school in Center Grove,” she explained. “I would love to spend more quality time with my family, especially my aging parents.” Cavanaugh also loved the idea of getting back into volunteering in both Hendricks and Marion County.
Out of everything that she became accustomed to in her career, Cavanaugh said that she would miss the interactions with her students the most. “I have taught every grade level, regular English, honors, AP, yadda-yadda,” she said. “Although I love grammar, writing, research and literature… the subject matter didn't bring me joy: the kids did.” Cavanaugh's final message to her colleagues and students was this: “Look out for each other. Love each other. Take care of each other. Respect each other. If you do these things, you're making the world a better place.”
Story by Aria Glover