Pasco High’s very own Mr. Schadler is planning on retiring by the end of this year, after thirty-six years of teaching. Schadler feels as if this year, especially because of the pandemic, is just the right year to retire. When asked what his most rewarding experience or moment of his decades of had been teaching he replied that he “enjoys his job” and “loves seeing kids experience creative freedom.” He “often bumps into kids from prior classes sometimes many years after and they always have a story for him about how his class made an impact on their life.”  

 Being the woodshop teacher means dealing and handling dangerous equipment, so naturally one would wonder if there had ever been an accident. According to Mr. Schadler, there has never been a serious accident and every student has completed his class with all ten fingers. Although every student made it out safe and sound, Schadler made sure to include that every student was monitored closely and very supervised. When asked why Schadler became interested in this career, he said that woodwork has always been a hobby first. Schadler is a second-generation teacher here at Pasco High, after his dad, who was also the woodshop teacher. He grew up at Pasco high as a student and grew up working with wood. Schadler wanted to work with kids so it was only natural to combine two passions in a place he was so familiar with.  

 Thirty-six years of teaching later he has developed a great relationship with the student body and is very obviously dedicated to his job. When asked if there was anything that he had made that he was especially proud of, or some of the first pieces ever completed Mr. Schadler gave quite a few. From projects in high school, including a cedar chest for his mom, coffee tables, end tables, to full bathroom and kitchen remodeling, as well as custom furniture. Mr. Schadler plans to spend his retirement with his wife, “going on trips to Europe next summer” (which he had already been three times before), “eventually moving to Arizona,” where Schadler says that he has family and friends there. Not a big fan of the cold, Mr. Schadler is looking forward to the hot Arizona climate.  

 When it comes to leaving Pasco High and how Mr. Schadler felt about it, he reportedly feels it’s “bittersweet” and that even though he has been here teaching for quite some time, he still really loves his job. Watching kids become creative within a space he had maintained allowing students to really become imaginative and allowing them to turn ideas into physical pieces is something that will be very hard to leave. Schadler doesn’t plan to leave completely, though as he is moving towards a different job, with more flexibility and time off. Hoping to train the teacher that will take his place once he retires, Schadler will not completely leave. Being able to still see his students and be in the environment that he loves seemed to make retirement more sweet than bitter. The tech that is in the wood shop room is advanced and a process to understand, so it sounds like Schadler is the only man for the job and will hopefully be sticking around for a little while longer.  

Finally, when asked what Mr. Schadler would miss most about Pasco High, he said, “Interacting and working with kids. Experiencing each trimester, each new year of student’s creativity and ideas.” Schadler has numerous instances of run ins with students from longer than twenty years ago, still maintaining a close connection so much so that students usually recognize Schadler and catch up. A specific instance, Schadler and his wife were enjoying a meal at a Mexican restaurant when Schadler noticed a piece of furniture that he recognized as his students. Shortly after he ran into that student, confirming that the piece of furniture was his and being able to reunite after many years. There are no short of these stories, and no short of student’s lives Mr. Schadler has impacted. Teaching students, seeing them graduate, and then meeting them again down the line is like “the whole circle,” Schadler says. We all hope Mr. Schadler enjoys a well-deserved retirement, and he will be greatly missed. Thank you, Mr. Schadler!