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Stoffer retires after 38 years of teaching

| May 15, 2013
Tina Stoffer has been teaching for 38 years at Sacred Heart, Fresno, and eventually at Ridgewood Elementary. She is pictured here with some of her students in front of a board she recently found that she used when she first started teaching. She thought it would be fitting to finish her teaching career with the same board she started with. Pictured from l-r: Karie Sells, Stoffer, Luke McCune, and Samuel Ellis.

Tina Stoffer has been teaching for 38 years at Sacred Heart, Fresno, and eventually at Ridgewood Elementary. She is pictured here with some of her students in front of a board she recently found that she used when she first started teaching. She thought it would be fitting to finish her teaching career with the same board she started with. Pictured from l-r: Karie Sells, Stoffer, Luke McCune, and Samuel Ellis.

WEST LAFAYETTE – Ever since Tina Stoffer was in grade school, she knew she wanted to go into a teaching career, helping to shape the lives of generations of students.

After 38 years of teaching at Sacred Heart, Fresno, and then finishing up her years at Ridgewood Elementary, Stoffer will have her last official day of teaching on May 31.

When Stoffer was in first grade, she fell in love with the academia world of grading papers, bulletin boards, and chalk. Her first grade teacher inspired her to continue her education and one day, become a teacher herself.

“She was a really nice lady,” said Stoffer. “I remember she was young and very pretty.”

Stoffer always knew she wanted to go to college and graduated from The Ohio State University in the spring of 1975. She continued her education further when she received her Master’s at Ashland University in 1996.

Stoffer commented that the ways of teaching have definitely changed over the years she has been a teacher and some fun activities she used to do with her students in the classroom have gone by the wayside simply because there is no time to do them. Due to new educational standards enforced by the state, there’s just no time to do educational and fun activities in class.

“There’s a lot of pressure on the kids now, and a lot of pressure on the teachers,” she said.

However, as it is near the end of the school year, the students at Ridgewood Elementary are having some fun by celebrating Right to Read week with a ‘Reading “Shore” is Fun’ theme. Each day of the week, students participated in a variety of fun activities with a beach theme and the fun culminated on Friday with an outdoor beach party.

It’s events like this that Stoffer will cherish for many years to come. She also remembers doing a Flat Stanley project where Stanley went to six continents, making a full circle back to West Lafayette with papers, trinkets, booklets and even Iraqi money, from all over the world. Flat Stanley even toured the White House with President Bush.

She also commented that technology has changed education in so many ways during her 38 years of teaching. With computers, then laptops and Smart Boards, technology has come a long way in the educational field.

“It used to be only the teacher had a computer in the classroom,” she said. “Now, all the students do, too.”

Stoffer said that she hopes she has made a difference in the lives of her students over the years. She remembers a high school graduate sending a rose to her, thanking her for helping her achieve her educational goals, and she even received a gift at a wedding of a former student.

“That just makes you feel really good,” she said. “There are a lot of good kids out there.”

Stoffer has advice for students who may be thinking about becoming a teacher.

“Find somebody you can bounce ideas off of,” she said. “If you have a mentor, make sure you go to them for advice and listen to them. Go and try to do experiences in the classroom because that gives you an idea if you want to go into teaching.”

Stoffer has a message for all of her past and present students on how to better their education and better themselves.

“Read as much as you can,” she said. “Reading is the key. It can transport you to anywhere in the world. You learn all things through reading.”

Stoffer plans on spending more time with her family and friends in her retirement. She’s also looking forward to volunteering at her church, Sacred Heart, getting more involved with Coshocton C.A.R.E.S. and United Way, and continuing her yoga exercises.

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Category: Education

About the Author ()

I have been employed at the Coshocton County Beacon since September 2009 as a news reporter and assistant graphic artist. I am a 2004 graduate of Newcomerstown High School and a 2008 graduate of Capital University with a bachelor’s degree in Professional Writing. I am married to John Scott and live in Newcomerstown. We have two beautiful daughters, Amelia Grace Scott and Leanna Rose Scott.

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