BATON ROUGE, La. (Aging Untold) — Barbara Longeway has spent most of her adult life in a kindergarten classroom, teaching 4- and 5-year-olds their letters, numbers and foundational skills.
Longeway’s teaching career began in Kentucky in 1969. Now 76, she works at the Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts, where she retired in 2012, only to return part-time a few months later.
“Retirement just didn’t suit me,” Longeway said.
Building relationships at the foundation
Longeway said connecting with each student early in the school year is central to her approach.
“If you establish a relationship with each child at the very beginning of the year, then they will receive instruction well, and my job is to deliver instruction,” Longeway said.
She said her goal is to instill confidence, creativity and a love of reading — not just for school, but for pleasure.
“I love helping them establish the foundation for their lifelong learning,” Longeway said.
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