SOUTHWICK – Ever since second grade, Debbie Patryn would tell her mother that she wanted to become a teacher. Growing up in Wrentham, Massachusetts, Patryn would go on to graduate from Westfield State College in 1976 with a degree in education.
Fast forward to June 21, 2018, and Patryn was experiencing her last day as a teacher. Officially retiring on June 30, Patryn would end her career with 40 years of full-time teaching in the Southwick school system.
“That was kind of a personal goal,” said Patryn. “I’m going to do this until I hit 40 years.”
Serving as a substitute teacher at Woodland School in 1977, Patryn would earn her first full-time contract with Woodland School in 1978 and would go on to spend the next 35 years teaching at that school.
After teaching kindergarten in her first year of teaching, she would bounce around to different grades before establishing herself as a third-grade teacher for the next 28 years at Woodland.
Debbie Patryn is shown with the magnolia tree outside of Woodland School that students planted for her last year. (Photo from Debbie Patryn)
Some of Patryn’s most memorable experiences as a teacher came during her role as a third grade teacher. The now retired teacher remembers doing a lesson on medieval life where all of the students dressed in costumes and had a festival. The class would learn how castles were built during those times. Patryn also remembers teaching third graders about Ghana and learning about their culture by doing storytelling and conducting a shadow-puppet play.
“That was a highlight of my career,” said Patryn. “Everything would circle around whatever theme I was working on.”
For her last six years of teaching, Patryn had been an enrichment teacher for both Woodland and Powder Mill School. Working with close to 500 students from kindergarten to sixth grade, the Westfield State graduate enjoyed doing hands-on experiments with students.
“It was a great way to end my teaching career because I was able to do everything that I loved to do with kids,” said Patryn.
With 40 years being regarded as a long career, Patryn never lost her passion for being a teacher.
“There wasn’t any time where I didn’t want to be there,” said Patryn “I didn’t give up, I just enjoyed what I was doing.”
Moving forward into a different phase of her life, Patryn’s husband, James, just retired after spending 41 years at Bradley International Airport. The retired couple is now planning on taking their A-line camper to take vacations in Cape Cod, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.
Having four grandchildren that live in Virginia, the Patryn’s will certainly start their retirement on an exciting note.
“We have a whole bunch of things scheduled,” said Patryn. “We get to spend time with them as well.”
