Students Conquer Challenge on Teacher’s Last Day
Posted/updated on: January 17, 2011 at 9:32 am
TYLER — What do you give someone as a retirement gift after 40 years in the classroom? Tom Rhodes, fourth grade teacher at Tyler’s Douglas Elementary, knew exactly what he wanted as a retirement gift from his students. Rhodes challenged his students to read six million words. The students ended up reading 6,079,472 words. “They had individual goals and I give them all of the credit,” Rhodes said. “These are the most awesome readers I have ever had! And I had the good fortune to be their teacher. There is nothing in life they cannot accomplish. I couldn’t be happier. They busted the goal!”
Friday was Rhodes’s last day with Tyler ISD. He has been with the school district for 35 of his 40 years in education as a teacher at Camp Tyler, Hogg Middle School and Douglas Elementary. Rhodes is looking forward to his retirement, especially spending a lot of time with his young grandson and reading to him.
