After teaching for 21 years at Galileo, math teacher Mr. Page who has taught Algebra 1 and AP Statistics has decided that it is time for retirement. Although he expresses his sadness of leaving his students and fellow colleagues, he also shares his readiness to leave.
Reflecting back on his years of teaching at Galileo, Mr. Page has mainly good memories. He said, “It was a bit rougher back then [when I started], but the kids and their relationship with the teachers was still really good. It’s still a great place to be. I have really liked all the teachers and I really like all the relationships with the students.”
The biggest change in the school over the course of his years at Galileo is everyone coming back after the pandemic. Mr. Page said, “Things became a bit different with students and their attendance after we came back from the quarantine.”
Before he became a teacher, Mr. Page was the CEO of a small company, but when the company wasn’t doing well and he had to deal with some personal problems, Mr. Page decided to do something different. While coaching for a Little League baseball team, Mr. Page realized that he enjoyed being around kids, which eventually led to him becoming a teacher.
Mr. Page has always had different goals for his students, depending on their grade. For seniors, he wants to get them more prepared for the challenge that college will bring for them, while for the younger students, his goal is to get them more prepared for the rigors in their years ahead.
When asked if he believed he had successfully accomplished these goals, he answered, “Sometimes. I think it’s hard. You want every single student to do well but it’s not a reality. But I believe I always positively affected them in some way, which is a success.”
Mr. Page’s favorite part of teaching has been being with the students. He really enjoys getting to know them, goofing around with them, and seeing them grow as people, believing that it is what makes his job as a teacher really rewarding. He expresses that he will also miss all the teachers, especially the Math Department as it is special to him.
On the other hand, Mr. Page will definitely not miss any meetings, preparation for his classes, and of course, any grading. Because he has a lot of hobbies, Mr. Page will spend his retirement doing many things. He plans to spend more time surfing and backpacking. Besides sports, he also has artistic hobbies such as printing. Mr. Page also plans to spend more time with his wife.
As the end of the school year is nearing, Mr. Page is really looking forward to retirement but the feeling also changes from day to day. He states, “It’s always a mixed bag of missing [my job] but I also can’t wait for it to end. But I think I’m ready!”
