Rau Elementary teachers were honored with a parting gift at the Rau spring program last Thursday. Pictured are (L-R) board members Stacey McNally & Ryan Bell and teachers Carolyn Koch and Jayne Miller.
Two Rau teachers will take years of memories with them when they retire at the end of this school year. Carolyn Koch and Jayne Miller, both retiring this year, have spent a combined total of 53 years at Rau School helping to educate and guide children as they moved through their elementary years at the school.
Carolyn Koch spent twenty-eight years teaching Rau students, with most of that time spent in grades one and two. She did serve as the fourth grade teacher for a few years, but she dearly loved the first and second grades and finished out her career in that classroom. “I love the first and second grade students,” Koch comments. “They are always so eager to learn, and they wanted to learn whatever I wanted to teach them. They are so enthusiastic about everything.”
She adds, “It is so rewarding teaching children and seeing the moment when the light bulb comes on and they grasp what I am trying to teach them.”
Koch also appreciates the atmosphere at Rau School, an atmosphere conducive to learning. “Rau is a small school, and working there is like having a second family,” Koch comments. “We had a family atmosphere among teachers and staff and this made for a wonderful teaching experience.”
Koch does not plan to sit idle after she retires. “I will really miss the kids, and it is hard to leave Rau, but I have five grandchildren and I want to spend more time with them and the rest of my family,” she says. “I will miss the students, but it is time to move on to the next stage of my life.”
Jayne Miller, who also will retire at the end of the year, has taught Rau students for more than two decades. She began her duties at Rau as a part time music teacher but through the years, the position evolved and grew until her duties included music, library, reading, and computers. This mix of responsibilities suited Miller perfectly. “With the various subjects I taught, I got to teach students from kindergarten through grade 6, and I loved it,” Miller remarks. “I had a nice variety of subjects to teach and I taught them all from kindergarten through sixth grade. I was able to watch them grow and develop and I got to know them all very well. It was hard to let them go when they left Rau for seventh grade.” She adds, “My kids had it right. They told me I had the perfect job because I got to teach all the fun subjects.”
Like Koch, Miller feels that Rau School provides a unique atmosphere for staff and students. “Rau is special,” Miller says. “There is closeness between staff members and students. It is like one big family. I love it here, so it is hard to leave. We all work together on everything we do.”
Miller looks back on her career at Rau with great satisfaction. “I wouldn’t have done anything differently,” she concludes. “Rau was great and I loved every child that I taught. Rau was a perfect place to teach, but it is now time for me to move on to other things.”
Miller plans to do some traveling after retirement and spend more time with her family and her grandchildren.
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