From Denver Beacon, 6-26-97

            At first, the idea of re-entering the work force was unnerving, says Sandy Miller, a substitute teacher for Windsor elementary schools.  “I left my teaching career thirty-two years ago,” says Miller. “The thought of going back to it scared me.  Times have changed since then – back then the girls still wore dresses to school!   I was afraid that today’s students and methods would be different, and that I wouldn’t be able to do it.”

            Miller left her job in 1965 when her first child was born. “I enjoyed teaching, but I wanted to be at home for my kids,” Miller says.  She and her husband, Dr. Lowell Miller, have eight children, five of whom were adopted.   

            With such a large, bustling family, Miller had to put all thoughts of her vocation aside.  "My kids were my career at the time.  There wasn’t time for anything else!” she says.  But after her first five children were grown and on their own, Miller began to think about going back.  “My youngest three are teenagers, and I decided that I needed to pursue something on my own.  I wanted a new challenge, and my husband encouraged me to try teaching again.”

            That meant the daunting task of updating her education and certification.  So at age 54, Miller went back to college.  “I dreaded having to take classes again,” Miller says, “ and I was sure I’d be the only older student there.”  Surprisingly, Miller found that this was not the case.  “Although the majority of students were younger, I was shocked to see the number of non-traditional students there. It seems many others my age have gone back to school too.” 

            Although much of the teaching curriculum hadn’t changed, Miller found that there was one major difference – computers were now a huge part of the classroom.  “I had never really used a computer before,” she says.  “Now I had to take courses on how they worked and were used.”  But even though it was difficult, Miller found the computer classes useful and enjoyable.  “I feel like I understand the computer age a little better now,” she says. 

            After completing the courses she needed to update her certification, Miller faced her next obstacle – finding a job.  “Re-entering the workforce after being out such a long time was hard,” Miller says.  “I didn’t have the updated resume’ or the recent experience most school districts were looking for.” 

            So instead of looking for a traditional teaching position, Miller looked for areas of need in her area.  She found that the Windsor school district was looking for substitute teachers to use during the year, and that’s what she applied for.  “Substituting is a excellent way to get back into teaching.  I work at least two days a week, and the classes vary, so every day is something new,” Miller says. “Plus, I have the freedom to work when I want, and time to be home with my teenagers.”

            Although Miller had feared that today’s schoolchildren would be different from her early teaching years, she was happy to find that “kids are still kids.”  She discovered that although some teaching tools have changed, children still learn the same way.  “The students are eager to do a good job in school, although they sometimes struggle with showing respect to their teachers,” Miller admits. 

            In some ways, she says, teaching now is easier than it was in the past.  “Today’s schools use teacher’s aides, and there are many specialists that we can utilize, like reading tutors and English as a Second Language teachers.  Back in the 60’s, we had to teach everything, including PE and music classes, so this is quite a change,” says Miller.   

            Re-entering the work force has given Miller the unexpected benefit of meeting others in her community.  “I knew many parents in our area because we still have kids in school, but teaching gave me the opportunity to meet colleagues and professionals who have my same interests.  It’s great to have that adult interaction after all these years of working at home.” 

            During the past year that she has been a substitute teacher, Miller has enjoyed the satisfaction of contributing to her community.  “Knowing that I can do a good job has given me more self-confidence and belief in myself,” she says.  “If someone told me that they were considering going back to school or changing careers,” says Miller, “I would tell them to go for it!”