Peggy Lane is out of their ears and eyes.
Well’sort of.
Lane, whose final day with Lake Orion Community Schools was June 12, plans to spend her retirement volunteering at Stadium Drive Elementary, so she won’t be too far.
Lane taught second grade there since the school opened in 1972. She’s been teaching in the district, however, for 41 years.
‘I’ll take it one day at a time,? she said of her life as a retiree. ‘It’s a new life, it’s a new beginning.?
Lane is ending her career in an environment strangely similar to when she wrote her master’s thesis at Wayne State University. In the early 1980s, when she was attending graduate school, the US was struggling through a troublesome economic recession.
She even wrote her thesis on teaching and economics.
With that experience under her belt, the 41-year teacher praised Lake Orion Community Schools in their current financial hardship.
‘I think our district has done a marvelous job selecting school board and administration members in spite of the financial times,? she said. ‘They make sure kids get what they need.?
Lane described the coming budget cuts as ‘sad.?
‘But they have to do something,? she said.
The teacher first joined the district in 1968 at Lake Orion Junior High, now Scripps Middle School. From there she taught second grade at Blanche Sims before heading to Stadium Drive School for the Arts.
At Stadium Drive, Lane was on the team in charge of developing the school’s focus on art and education.
‘We teach the concepts and make connections between art and academics,? she said, using dancing as an example. There are dance qualities that parallel verb placement in sentences, so students are able to learn about verbs through dance.
The veteran teacher said she’s pleased with the improvements made in education since she started her career in it four decades ago.
‘Education has changed so much and I’ve seen Lake Orion come a long way,? she said. ‘The district went from mediocre to outstanding. We’ve really stepped up the pace.?
One major difference in teaching methods is individualized programs, making sure each student grasps all the concepts needed to succeed, according to Lane, and not simply reading text books front to back.
‘I don’t believe in failing kids,? she said. ‘It’s our job to find out why they’re failing and fix it.?
The improvements and changes made in education were what Lane said kept her excited about her job for so long.
‘Before, we weren’t teaching the whole kid. But now we’re teaching kids all the way through,? she said. ‘We teach life, not just school.?
Lane moved to Lake Orion when she was in fifth grade and started school at St. Joseph. She never married and never had any children of her own.
‘I’ve got enough kids,? she said of her students.
And, even in her retirement, she’ll spend her time with them.