By Patricia Weatherly
Dennis Carey has been a well known and respected member of the New Haven School District for over 30 years. Mr. Carey attended high school here, and he has been teaching at the Home of the Shamrocks since 1985.
Dennis Carey has been a well known and respected member of the New Haven School District for over 30 years. Mr. Carey attended high school here, and he has been teaching at the Home of the Shamrocks since 1985.
During the beginning years of his career, he taught sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. When he started teaching, the middle school was divided differently than it is now.
“I started out teaching the General Courses and Science,” explains Mr. Carey. “That is until we got someone to teach other subjects, like English.”
He went to college at Southeast Missouri State University. He went into education so that he could be a coach. “However, I’d have to say that I prefer teaching now. “
When asked what his favorite part of teaching was, Mr. Carey reported that “seeing the light go on” when a student understands something he/she was having trouble with is his favorite part of teaching.
He enjoys riding his motorcycle around town and visiting his children. “They are kind of spread out now, so it’s always nice to see them and catch up on things,” he went on.
Sadly, Mr. Carey will be retiring this year. After 31 years, his career will come to an end this May. “Most of my original colleagues have retired. At some point, you pause and ask yourself, ‘Why haven’t I done it yet?’”
Over the course of his years here at New Haven, Mr. Carey reported having been through four changes in the education curriculum for the students. “I just have trouble keeping up with the changes,” he explains.
Community member, Donna Vollertsen, and former Sunday school teacher, remembers, “I remember when Dennis Carey and Doug Peirick were teenagers. I caught them running in church, and I told them that they shouldn’t run in church. They lowered their heads and said, ‘Yes, Mrs. Vollertsen.’ Of course, if you ask them about it today, they’ll deny it.”
Freshmen, Callie Weatherly reflects on moments in the classroom with Mr. Carey: “One day in class, none of us were listening, and we were kind of out of control. Mr. Carey said he would bring a stick of bamboo to class to enforce listening. Of course he was joking, so we just laughed it away. But another day, he actually brought in a bamboo stick. He had it sitting in one of the desks. It was a fun way to poke fun at the class.”
We hope you have had some good times here at New Haven, Mr. Carey, because you have given all of us some of our fondest memories. We will miss you!
“I started out teaching the General Courses and Science,” explains Mr. Carey. “That is until we got someone to teach other subjects, like English.”
He went to college at Southeast Missouri State University. He went into education so that he could be a coach. “However, I’d have to say that I prefer teaching now. “
When asked what his favorite part of teaching was, Mr. Carey reported that “seeing the light go on” when a student understands something he/she was having trouble with is his favorite part of teaching.
He enjoys riding his motorcycle around town and visiting his children. “They are kind of spread out now, so it’s always nice to see them and catch up on things,” he went on.
Sadly, Mr. Carey will be retiring this year. After 31 years, his career will come to an end this May. “Most of my original colleagues have retired. At some point, you pause and ask yourself, ‘Why haven’t I done it yet?’”
Over the course of his years here at New Haven, Mr. Carey reported having been through four changes in the education curriculum for the students. “I just have trouble keeping up with the changes,” he explains.
Community member, Donna Vollertsen, and former Sunday school teacher, remembers, “I remember when Dennis Carey and Doug Peirick were teenagers. I caught them running in church, and I told them that they shouldn’t run in church. They lowered their heads and said, ‘Yes, Mrs. Vollertsen.’ Of course, if you ask them about it today, they’ll deny it.”
Freshmen, Callie Weatherly reflects on moments in the classroom with Mr. Carey: “One day in class, none of us were listening, and we were kind of out of control. Mr. Carey said he would bring a stick of bamboo to class to enforce listening. Of course he was joking, so we just laughed it away. But another day, he actually brought in a bamboo stick. He had it sitting in one of the desks. It was a fun way to poke fun at the class.”
We hope you have had some good times here at New Haven, Mr. Carey, because you have given all of us some of our fondest memories. We will miss you!
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