Finally here tonight when you consider that stat that half of our new teachers leave their jobs after five years, tonight’s story about a very special teacher in Chicago is all that remarkable. She started teaching in 1935. She is still going strong. Our education correspondent ______ has tonight’s “Making a Difference” report.
Avila Newboer is celebrating a couple of rare milestones. This week she turned 100 years old and she may be the nation’s oldest teacher still in the classroom and loving it every minute.
Yes, my son drives me crazy. He said: Now come on, Mom, when you are going to stop?
Mrs. Newboyer, as everyone calls her, found her calling nearly 80 years ago, as an extension of what she enjoyed doing as a child, teaching dance to the neighborhood kids. She went on to be Phys. Ed teacher. After taking 10 years off to raise her own two children, she realized she missed the classroom. Fifty years ago, Newboyer founded Ashburn Lutheran school in Chicago and taught kindergarteners reading ever since.
Reading is so important. They can’t read, they can’t really do anything. While much has changed with computers now at schools. Mrs. Newboyer still teaches in the old fashion way – word on one, with remarkable results. Our kindergarteners are reading by Christmas well and by the end of year, they can whip through book all by themselves. Eighth grader, Ashley Hudson, is heading to one of Chicago’s top high schools, all because of the teachers who never gave up on her.
Thanks Mrs. Newboer for being such an awesome teacher, I would not be where I am now without you.
After church this week, the community stood up to applaud her.
