A+ Teacher says “It’s fun, it’s not even a job”

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Our A+ Teacher this week has been instructing for 56 years.

Roosevelt Elementary School’s useful resource officer nominated Raymond Roderick for all of his years of dedication and repair to Tampa college students.

While his classroom now appears like every other in 2025, he remembers a time when “there were hard wood floors, slate chalkboards, no air conditioning and coat rooms.”

Roderick has taught generations of households and lived by way of historical past.

“I taught my first year at   Meachem Elementary in 1970,” he mentioned. “The next year, desegregation came in, I was moved here to Roosevelt and I’ve been here for 55 years.”

Roderick mentioned he has taught hundreds of scholars over time, together with among the dad and mom of his present college students and in some circumstances, even the grandparents.

“I can enjoy the kids, have a good time with them, and yet they know my boundaries, they know what’s expected of them,” Roderick mentioned. “So, we have a good time, and we get our work done.”

Roderick mentioned all through his a long time of instructing, expertise has modified essentially the most, however college students have largely stayed the identical, which is why he retains coming again, day after day.

“I come here every day and I don’t think anything about that it’s a job anymore,” he mentioned. “To me, it’s not really even a job, it’s just coming in and having a good time with the kids, and having them learn.”