Lark Murphy retiring from C-S High School
By Bruce Rolfe
A long time teacher at Climax-Scotts High School will be retiring after over four decades of making an impact on students.
Lark Murphy, who taught 37 years at C-S High School, 2 years in the Galesburg-Augusta School District and substitute taught 4 1/2 years, retired June 6.
As odd as it may sound, initially, Murphy wasn’t interested in becoming a teacher.
Murphy started at Grand Valley State University majoring in child psychology, but soon developed an interest in archaeology while doing her undergraduate work. However she realized she would need a Doctor of Philosophy, to enjoy a career in the field.
So she worked on her teaching certification at Grand Valley State University, where she majored in archaeology and history and had a minor in Earth Science.
After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in the early 1980s, Murphy discovered there weren’t many jobs in education, so she pursued her masters degree in Archaeology at Western Michigan University.
Again, she discovered job openings were scarce, especially for females teaching social studies.
After substitute teaching 4 1/2 years, Murphy secured a teaching job in the Galesburg-Augusta School District, where she remained two years.
However Murphy encountered challenges landing another teaching job when she left G-A.
The long time C-S teacher said she had second interviews at Mattawan and West Ottawa, but was not offered a teaching position.
It was getting near the end of the summer. Murphy reached out to former C-S Superintendant Ron Parker, who was leading the C-S School District at the time, to see if there were any openings.
“He said I think they’re interviewing right now. Just come in,” recalled Murphy.
She said the interview committee consisted of Parker, former C-S High School Principal LaCinda Kramer and former long time C-S teacher Ellen Pierce.
Murphy said she was hired the day before students started the new school year.
Originally from Saugatuck where she grew up, Murphy said she had 52 in her graduating class so she was very comfortable with a small school environment.
She enjoys small towns, making Climax-Scotts very appealing to her.
The rest is history.
She wound up teaching in the same classroom for 37 years at C-S, which she said is “virtually unheard of.”
She taught U.S. History the full year to freshmen, World History the entire year to sophomores, and she taught one semester of government and one semester of economics to juniors.
A teacher appreciation bulletin board in her classroom containing many thank you cards made by her students, including some that note how much of an impact she had on their lives, is another reminder how much Murphy has been appreciated by kids.
“What really shone through on my teacher appreciation cards is what I’ve always tried to do. I just don’t teach social sciences. I teach life skills, like compassion, kindness, confidence. And those things just kind of seem to be lacking in society and in a general sense,” said Murphy.
Her positive influence in the classroom for 37 years at C-S hasn’t gone unnoticed by the community. At the C-S graduation ceremony May 22 when it was announced Murphy would be retiring, she received a standing ovation.
She said even 37 years after she started teaching at C-S, she views “every day and every class as an opportunity.”
“It’s cool to be able to greet the kids and just let them know you’re a person too. We all have good days, we all have bad days. Let’s work through them together,” said Murphy.
A lengthy teaching career has allowed Murphy an opportunity to look back on various rewards, challenges and how things have changed.
Murphy said teaching during COVID was a difficult time, noting teaching online was very challenging.
“When you would show up every single day and every single hour with a full lesson plan and you might have two kids,” recalled Murphy.
“I am frustrated through time, particularly with COVID, that the enabling and the entitlement has really kicked in,” adds the veteran teacher.
She has also seen a change in the students over the years.
She said students are still teenagers. They still have teenage needs and there’s drama and difficulties. She admits she hears some things a students’ parents have probably never heard, however she enjoys being a confidant.
The veteran C-S teacher adds the parent-teacher relationship has also changed over the years.
She said many years ago when students received poor grades, parents challenged the students. However there’s been a transition to parents now question teachers why their children’s grades might be poor.
“Part of it is, that parents have become more friends, then parents,” said Murphy.
The retiring teacher said despite some challenges and frustrations that can surface with students, “I still love my kids to death.”
The long time educator said she enjoys seeing growth in students from year to year.
“That’s the only reason that I’ve been in this career this long. And thinking that if I made a difference in any of their lives, in any positive manner, I’ve done my job,” said Murphy.
She said what she finds enjoyable is many of the staff at C-S Jr./Sr. High School are either married to some one she taught, or are former students. Or she has been the teacher of the children of many of her former students.
The veteran teacher admits she could have pursued other opportunities in larger school districts where she could have secured a higher paying job. But in her view, a smaller school district brings other values, which is what made C-S appealing.
“Earn more money? Yes. Done better in impacting students? No. I think being able to have kids for consecutive years is so much more meaningful in terms of the overall impact than a one and done,” said Murphy.
The biggest change Murphy has seen is how technology is now used in the classroom. The veteran teacher said this year she used Artificial Intelligence clips as part of her curriculum.
Murphy said she will miss her students the most, but “won’t miss getting up at 5:20 every morning.”
“I won’t miss 14 and a half hour days and I won’t miss falling asleep every night with papers on my lap,” adds Murphy.
In her retirement years, Lark and her husband plan to do some traveling, enjoy visits with their daughter who lives in North Carolina and spending more time with their son who lives in the Kalamazoo area. She adds other retirement goals include taking American Sign Language (ASL) classes and volunteering at the Cheff Center Therapeutic Riding Center.
Murphy has also served five years as president of the Climax-Scotts Education Association and 32 years as vice-president.
A long time teacher at Climax-Scotts High School will be retiring after over four decades of making an impact on students.
Lark Murphy, who taught 37 years at C-S High School, 2 years in the Galesburg-Augusta School District and substitute taught 4 1/2 years, retired June 6.
As odd as it may sound, initially, Murphy wasn’t interested in becoming a teacher.
Murphy started at Grand Valley State University majoring in child psychology, but soon developed an interest in archaeology while doing her undergraduate work. However she realized she would need a Doctor of Philosophy, to enjoy a career in the field.
So she worked on her teaching certification at Grand Valley State University, where she majored in archaeology and history and had a minor in Earth Science.
After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in the early 1980s, Murphy discovered there weren’t many jobs in education, so she pursued her masters degree in Archaeology at Western Michigan University.
Again, she discovered job openings were scarce, especially for females teaching social studies.
After substitute teaching 4 1/2 years, Murphy secured a teaching job in the Galesburg-Augusta School District, where she remained two years.
However Murphy encountered challenges landing another teaching job when she left G-A.
The long time C-S teacher said she had second interviews at Mattawan and West Ottawa, but was not offered a teaching position.
It was getting near the end of the summer. Murphy reached out to former C-S Superintendant Ron Parker, who was leading the C-S School District at the time, to see if there were any openings.
“He said I think they’re interviewing right now. Just come in,” recalled Murphy.
She said the interview committee consisted of Parker, former C-S High School Principal LaCinda Kramer and former long time C-S teacher Ellen Pierce.
Murphy said she was hired the day before students started the new school year.
Originally from Saugatuck where she grew up, Murphy said she had 52 in her graduating class so she was very comfortable with a small school environment.
She enjoys small towns, making Climax-Scotts very appealing to her.
The rest is history.
She wound up teaching in the same classroom for 37 years at C-S, which she said is “virtually unheard of.”
She taught U.S. History the full year to freshmen, World History the entire year to sophomores, and she taught one semester of government and one semester of economics to juniors.
A teacher appreciation bulletin board in her classroom containing many thank you cards made by her students, including some that note how much of an impact she had on their lives, is another reminder how much Murphy has been appreciated by kids.
“What really shone through on my teacher appreciation cards is what I’ve always tried to do. I just don’t teach social sciences. I teach life skills, like compassion, kindness, confidence. And those things just kind of seem to be lacking in society and in a general sense,” said Murphy.
Her positive influence in the classroom for 37 years at C-S hasn’t gone unnoticed by the community. At the C-S graduation ceremony May 22 when it was announced Murphy would be retiring, she received a standing ovation.
She said even 37 years after she started teaching at C-S, she views “every day and every class as an opportunity.”
“It’s cool to be able to greet the kids and just let them know you’re a person too. We all have good days, we all have bad days. Let’s work through them together,” said Murphy.
A lengthy teaching career has allowed Murphy an opportunity to look back on various rewards, challenges and how things have changed.
Murphy said teaching during COVID was a difficult time, noting teaching online was very challenging.
“When you would show up every single day and every single hour with a full lesson plan and you might have two kids,” recalled Murphy.
“I am frustrated through time, particularly with COVID, that the enabling and the entitlement has really kicked in,” adds the veteran teacher.
She has also seen a change in the students over the years.
She said students are still teenagers. They still have teenage needs and there’s drama and difficulties. She admits she hears some things a students’ parents have probably never heard, however she enjoys being a confidant.
The veteran C-S teacher adds the parent-teacher relationship has also changed over the years.
She said many years ago when students received poor grades, parents challenged the students. However there’s been a transition to parents now question teachers why their children’s grades might be poor.
“Part of it is, that parents have become more friends, then parents,” said Murphy.
The retiring teacher said despite some challenges and frustrations that can surface with students, “I still love my kids to death.”
The long time educator said she enjoys seeing growth in students from year to year.
“That’s the only reason that I’ve been in this career this long. And thinking that if I made a difference in any of their lives, in any positive manner, I’ve done my job,” said Murphy.
She said what she finds enjoyable is many of the staff at C-S Jr./Sr. High School are either married to some one she taught, or are former students. Or she has been the teacher of the children of many of her former students.
The veteran teacher admits she could have pursued other opportunities in larger school districts where she could have secured a higher paying job. But in her view, a smaller school district brings other values, which is what made C-S appealing.
“Earn more money? Yes. Done better in impacting students? No. I think being able to have kids for consecutive years is so much more meaningful in terms of the overall impact than a one and done,” said Murphy.
The biggest change Murphy has seen is how technology is now used in the classroom. The veteran teacher said this year she used Artificial Intelligence clips as part of her curriculum.
Murphy said she will miss her students the most, but “won’t miss getting up at 5:20 every morning.”
“I won’t miss 14 and a half hour days and I won’t miss falling asleep every night with papers on my lap,” adds Murphy.
In her retirement years, Lark and her husband plan to do some traveling, enjoy visits with their daughter who lives in North Carolina and spending more time with their son who lives in the Kalamazoo area. She adds other retirement goals include taking American Sign Language (ASL) classes and volunteering at the Cheff Center Therapeutic Riding Center.
Murphy has also served five years as president of the Climax-Scotts Education Association and 32 years as vice-president.
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