Middle school English teacher Melissa Bazner teaches her students one last time this week.

Just over a couple months ago, Bazner announced to her students that she would retire and that it would be her last year at Southern after more than 30 years of teaching as an English teacher. 

“I would describe my time here at SMS as being my destiny,” Bazner said. “When I first started, I had no idea that I would feel right at home and teach here for over 30 years. The day I got the phone call that I would be a seventh-grade English teacher here, I remember walking past a mirror and thinking with surprise, ‘I’m going to be somebody’s teacher!’ I had so many fantastic teachers growing up in upstate New York. It was an honor and a privilege to teach so many students (about four thousand) over my years here.” 

Many students are sad to see her go, since she has had such a strong impact on the students who are now sophomores, such as Mason Buckley, who has had her as an English teacher throughout middle school. 

“The best advice Mrs. Bazner has given me that I always remember to believe in myself and don’t be a dummy in the future,” Buckley said. “One thing Mrs. Bazner has taught me that I won’t forget [is] how to be a decent human being inside and outside of school and how to make a better impact on the community and people in school, such as myself and [teachers] along with classmates.” 

Bazner  also learned how to persevere as a teacher with this group of students.

“I think that the group that I traveled from seventh grade to eighth grade with [me] left the most impact on me,” Bazner said. “We spent 2 years together, and you all helped me learn how to be an 8th-grade teacher, on good days and bad.”

Bazner has had a great impact on her students, such as sophomore Zelma Cheek.

“My favorite memory about Mrs. Bazner was at the very end of the year, when she presented us with a little a scrapbook of all her favorite memories from our class, with photos and little things that made her remember us,” Cheek said, “At the very end of the year, if you were a good writer, she would give you a journal, and it had a special positive message in it.”

Zelma is able to remember many funny moments she has had within her two years of being one of Bazner’s students, and enjoyed being able to look back at them on in the scrapbook that Bazner made. 

“I don’t really trust my memory,” Bazner said. “I have a scrapbook where I keep a page for every one of my classes with a group picture and a few mementos from each year. I keep and treasure all the sweet notes from students! I add them to my scrapbooks and reread them to remember all my students.”

Over the last 30 years, Bazner’s teaching has always put her students first, creating funny moments, letting her students express their creativity in ways making them want to do more. 

“She always assigned work that was good for your learning range, and she always believed in you,” Cheek said. “Funny memory that I have with Mrs. Bazner in seventh grade, we were reading a book, and at the end we had to present something about a book or a story, and we had to do an act about it, and these two boys in her classroom did a football scene, and they tackled each other in her class causing a huge mess.”

Bazner will miss the memorable connections she has had with teachers and students.

“I will miss you so much,” Bazner said. “I will miss trading zingers with the students and using my best sarcasm to make a point. I will miss random students running into my room between classes to say ‘hi’ or writing messages on my whiteboard. I will miss laughing with the students! I will miss Mrs. Hulme’s hugs, Mrs. Chronister’s vicious (yet friendly) trolling, Mr. Latimer’s pranks and Mr. Fancher’s life-like reenactments of ridiculous student behavior. I will miss reading new young adult books to try to find just the right book to bring to the classroom. I will miss reading to students, especially when our novels get to the really good parts. I will miss students howling in mock agony when we have to stop reading on a cliffhanger. I will miss the last full day of classes, when I show students the movie I have made about their year. I will miss learning all the latest teen slang and knowing about who has a crush on who. Most of all, I will miss just being a part of the school community and watching kids grow up.”  

Bazner looks toward the future with excitement, looking forward to the perks of retirement. 

“In my retirement, I am looking forward to being able to travel with my husband throughout the year, not just in the summer,” Bazner said.  “I am looking forward to being able to use the bathroom without needing to find someone to watch my class. I am looking forward to sleeping past 5 a.m. and staying up late on a weeknight.”