Too Old?

Age is a very big issue these days as we head into the presidential campaign. Many people have "concerns" about Joe Biden being 81 years old, and may be too old for the job. Donald Trump is four years younger, and age has not been brought up when it comes to him. 

Dick Van Dyke just won an Emmy Award at age 98. Rita Moreno is acting in films and television in her 90's. Mel Brooks, comedic genius, is in his 90's. I am 61.

I became a teacher at 59. One of my concerns was I would be too old for the job. I worried I couldn't relate to the kids. Maybe I wasn't relevant anymore. I frequently joke that I am so old school, I went to a one room schoolhouse on the prairie and pa called me half-pint. 

I also talk about my career as having a time limit. I tell other teachers I don't have a lot of time to waste, because the clock is ticking on my career. I wondered about my longevity as I went on a class trip to Washington, D.C. recently. I have knees that need to be replaced. I have feet with Arthritis, and I used a walking stick. I worried that I might be pulled aside and told, "Ok, you're done." 

What is too old to work? We have retirement ages, but people are living longer, and with no savings, so they have to work. Age can be a liability to a company. Is it a liability for me? 

The best I can give is, I am teaching for as long as I want to be a teacher. I hope this takes me through my 60's. I understand though time may not be on my side, so I take things a year at a time. I am wrapping up year #3, and am looking ahead to my 4th year teaching. 

So many teachers start at 24 or 25. I was the exception. I would say that we need more older teachers in the field. Experience, be it academic or life, can be key to success with students. We can guide them to the world they should expect. For my students, I worry about what happens to them once they no longer have all the accommodations they've had in place for 12 years of school. Microsoft might not care they can only take information in small chunks. Walmart may not think taking a sensory break is such a good thing. The world is not set up to help people with ASD. I try to impart wisdom to my students so they will be better equipped to handle what will happen after high school. Age, in this case, is a benefit. 

While most of my age peers are looking at ending careers, I am in the infancy of mine. There are times it is awkward to talk to folks my age as they talk about slowing down. I'm not ready for that. I won't be retiring to Florida(ever). I want to be vital and useful as long as I can. 

They say age is just a number, but it is also a mentality.