MrBob Loc: lookout Mtn. NE Alabama

Right on KT... Pentel Energel is all the boss lets me buy now that I have to do all the shopping.... GREAT Gel pens.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

I recommend stainless steel Zebra fine point or medium point refillable pens. I've been using them almost exclusively for over 15 years. The refills last a long time, seldom (if ever) skip (will if left in a cold place), Are very reasonably priced, and are very tough. I have accidentally left one in my pocket a couple times and they went through the washer and dryer without leaking ink and ruining clothing. They continued to work the same as before the laundry cycle. I have found them in WalMart in two packs for under $5. They also some in colors.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

I kept a supply of red, blue and black in my desk at school and home plus a pocket protector with one each.

As part of a cleaning project, I found a partial box of them left from before I retired in 2007 - tried one and IT WORKED perfectly!

After the computer roll books came along they dropped the black only rule for the paper roll books kept as a back-up and for subs to use I color coded my entries. I also kept a broad point calligraphy pen for writing hall passes - how many kids have one of those to forge a hall pass?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

I just got our daughter a pen & pencil set of Cross, blue to match her car, engraved, for her upcoming med school graduation in May. It was so nice, I got one for in black for myself for semi-dressy occasions and travel - with a brushed leather pocket protector. If I am buying dress and semi dress clothing for the first time since I retired in 2007 I am not risking putting the pen in my pocket with the point extended and staining the shirt or jacket (I had a few of those when I was teaching.)

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

US and World History mostly, plus some Geography, Latin American Studies, Education and Career Planning, one year of beginning Photography, one semester of English Composition and Literature. 1974 to 2007 often teaching an extra period, summer school more years than not. Fifteen years at a 7-9 Jr High School and the rest at Sr High (10-12) or a full High School(9-12). I sometime taught Gifted or the University Preparatory Program for 7 years - was a program run by the engineering and science departments at California State University, Los Angeles (UCLA's poor cousin in East Los Angeles where I spent all but 6 years of my career) to make sure their incoming students were ready for a university. I never took an AP class because of the extreme amount of paper work, but some of the UPP classes also earned college credit. Some of those kids also got Saturday classes at Cal State, Cal Tech and the Jet Propulsion Lab.

fetzler Loc: North West PA

My Cross pens have served me well some are more than 50 years old.

rlv567 Loc: Baguio City, Philippines

The UPP classes you taught were in technical subjects? I'm sure the Cal Tech and JPL classes were. --- What classes were your favorites??? And how much say did you have in selection of what you would teach? For a year plus I was Resident Manager of a board and care facility in Gardena (RosNor - because it was at Rosecrans and Normandy), until the owner didn't give me the promised substantial raise (she was something else, again, and dealing with the Psychiatrists and doctors there was a real eye-opener - and very disturbing, but that's another story.) I easily got a teaching credential and taught an extension course while I was there - just for the fun of it, and a little extra money. We had 125 residents in several buildings - which had been apartments - and 15 staff, but that's really another story. I hired a university graduate as Recreation Director for $400 a month, and she was happy to get it! You know - I've had a LOT of most interesting experiences in my 95 years; I ought to write a book - if I could remember everything! I have an excellent memory, but never have cluttered my mind with a lot of stuff from the past!!! - and much prefer it that way.

Loren - in Beautiful Baguio City

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

The UPP program was a total program, like a school within a school. I was the program's History, Geography and Government teacher. We had about 250 students total and teachers from all departments doing UPP part-time with our other classes. Another East LA high school had about the same number. The engineering department at Cal State LA (a top-rated program in the state/nation) said about 40% of their freshmen each year came from the two schools in their UPP program. They also had a person who worked to get scholarships and grants for the students and admission to other colleges or universities in CA if the specialty the student wanted was there. When I retired in 2007 that person had a 100% record of getting students where they wanted/needed to go and money to go there. One of my history students did a weekend and summer internship at JPL and did so well they hired him as a weekend and summer intern and got him pre-admitted to Cal Tech Pasadena plus guaranteed to pay 100%, including living and pocket money, if he signed a contract to work for them. He signed, the last I heard he was fairly senior there now and a part time professor.

A war story about myself and an assistant principal. When I refused to adapt her favorite "latest miracle teaching method" she switched me from teaching history/geography/government in the program to running a study hall for UPP students. I turned it into a tutoring program for their history/geography/government classes. Then after a big meeting of parents and students with the school's administrators about the program, she came to me and said something like "I didn't realize how much the parents and students like your classes, they were all asking why you were running a study hall instead of subject classes." The end of the semester I had the UPP World History class again and the program's "Education and Career Planning" class until I retired a few years later. On open house nights, the majority of my visits were parents of UPP students and half the rest were gifted. The gifted coordinator was a former student of mine and his wife who taught at a Gifted Magnet Elementary School was also. They met in my Gifted History class in 8th grade.

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

What an impressive resumé! I can understand your retirement. As for me, I won’t retire till they carry me out feet first.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

I planned to keep teaching until our youngest graduated from college or 70, which ever was last. Well by 62 I was as far up the scale for retirement pay as you could go, the only way to get more pay or a bigger pension was to go to a PhD and I saw no reason to get one that mattered to me. I was having some health problems because the stress and the 44-mile one way commute was getting to me and my wife (Surgical RN) was after me to retire. Well one day just about this time in 2007 on the way to work I had to pull over to vomit. I walked into the school office and walked up to the Principal and got a big grin back with something like "About time, you are just killing yourself with stress working beyond the credits for a maximum pension the last couple of years."
Then he turned to the office manager and told her that as soon as the sign-ins and opening paper work was done, get a retirement form package and put it in my mailbox. I got it between 2nd and 3rd periods and had it mostly filled out by the end of the day. I finished it at home and turned it in at sign-in the next day. I also told all my students that day I was retiring. By lunch, I was already feeling better from the sheer knowledge that the stress would end June 7th. And as I was packing my attaché case to go home after school a committee of girls from all my classes marched in and told me that no matter what the school or my rules were about parties or food and drinks in the classroom the last day was going to be one long pot luck pig out and retirement party complete with a cake. They also organized a cleanup crew to clean the room, pack my personal things and put them in my SUV (it was mostly their boyfriends.) As they were finishing, the plant manager walked by and took a look at how clean the room was and asked how they would like to earn some "work credit" cleaning rooms after school. "This room hasn't been this clean since it was built."

So now I do photography, read lots of books that are pure entertainment instead of research for lessons, watch a little TV, a few movies, listen to the radio and listen to music. Plus play on the computer and I spoil the pets something awful. For getting out, at least before Covid, I belong to the Operations Department of a large Railway Museum and hold ratings as a streetcar motorman and a train conductor (our training programs are Federal Standard). Go to the Feds, take their test and I could go back to work, on trains. But why? I can play with them at the museum!

twowindsbear

GOOD for you!!!!

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Thanks, I am enjoying retirement for the most part. I do miss presenting lessons to a class. Not the commute, paperwork, meetings, lesson planning and writing. Just being with a room of students, presenting a lesson and watch students sort of light off with understanding something they might have not known existed before.

One student once told me she knew why I liked teaching history, "You get to tell stories all day!"

twowindsbear

Have you discovered The History Guy on YouTube?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

No, I haven't, maybe I will look him up. 99% of what I do on YouTube is listen to music that I don't already own copies of.
I don't like video tutorials, I prefer the written word with a video as expansion material.

rcurrie Loc: Kingsport, TN

Try Sharpie S-gel. Inexpensive and reliable.