A Teacher Never Retires

From knowing where to go to figuring out how lunch works, the first day of kindergarten comes with its fair share of worries. And no one knows this better than Martha Farr, a retired kindergarten teacher who just re-lived those back-to-school jitters herself when she moved into MRC’s Stevenson Oaks retirement community.

“It’s funny because in the kindergarten classroom, the most important thing is building relationships. The kids want to have that feeling of connection and belonging,” said Farr. “And it’s the same thing when you move into a retirement community. You’re suddenly in a situation again where you’re looking for a good place to land.”

Farr spent 40 years teaching kindergarten while also serving as a college adjunct professor in the education  department.  “In my last year of teaching kindergarten, I had the great-grandchild of someone I taught my very first year. And I thought ‘Okay, maybe it’s time to move on,’” quipped Farr.

Although Farr recently fully retired from both positions, she’s still heading back to the classroom this fall. “I’ll be working as a reading tutor for first graders in Fort Worth’s ISD. It’s the same elementary school my grandchildren attended,” said Farr. “My passion has always been working with early childhood students, so I’m grateful for this opportunity to still be able to contribute. It’s making me excited about back to school again.”

Farr has settled in nicely at Stevenson Oaks while realizing that when you’re a teacher, sometimes you’re a teacher for life. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can’t wait to get back at it!”

Written by Jeff Bell

‍