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As he fell, his initial thoughts went to how embarrassed he was. With a previously broken leg, a classroom full of students, and a rolling chair that came to a stop abruptly, (which caused him to fall off), John Sadler waited for the reaction. The students burst into laughter, and he did too, because in that moment he realized it was ok to laugh with them. For thirty years, he laughed with different classes, and derived joy in a career well spent.
John Sadler has taught at a few different places, but he has spent the last twelve years at NS. After his brother passed away recently, Sadler took time to reflect on health history in his family. He decided he wants to treasure every moment with his loved ones, and so he is retiring.
“I don’t know if it’s a good time to be retiring with the economy, it’s kind of shaky right now, but I still want to be there for my grandkids,” Sadler said.
His decision to leave is one that came with difficult truths. As Sadler leaves behind teaching he also leaves an environment, coworkers, and most importantly to him, students. As he taught he developed more empathy than he previously had, and he tried to not add to the stress students had.
“I think I’ll always be there for people, and I’ll see their struggles. No matter what your age you have struggles and challenges, and I’ll try to be patient like I have been with students,” Sadler said.
His lighthearted nature has helped students to learn and has also made a classroom where everyone could feel welcomed and understood.
“I’ve heard a lot of people say that students don’t always remember what you teach them but they will always remember how you made them feel,” sophomore Tavian Smith said. “I don’t think I ever really got that until I had John’s class.”
Sadler hopes that students maintain integrity and work hard to grow, even in subjects they aren’t comfortable with. In his experience, teaching math often meant pushback and a negative attitude. He came to learn that he couldn’t change anyone’s mind, but he could be there for them. This perspective came after his own academic experiences forced him to find joy in discomfort.
“When in college I had to take this course, it was a writing course, and I took it once and it wasn’t the grade I wanted,” Sadler said. “It was a C-, and I couldn’t see what the professor wanted, I didn’t see the vision. But then I retook the course again and then I could see the benefits a little bit better. I was a little bit more excited about writing, and I put more heart into it, and that was rewarding.”
College wasn’t the only time Sadler had to work hard to adapt to a new subject, and in his teaching career he faced the task of teaching calculus to high schoolers after being used to teaching middle school level math and science.
“He thought about it for a second and he said you know what, we’ll make it work, we’ll figure it out,” Matt syme said. “Teaching a college class of that caliber requires a lot of planning, requires a lot of extra work, but he never complained about it he just said ok, we’ll gather the resources and figure it out. Some teachers when given a class like that would’ve just said no.”
His work ethic and gentle demeanor will be greatly missed by students and faculty members alike, and his impact is one that cultivates a standard to uphold even in his absence.
“He just always greets me with a smile and checks in to see how things are doing, and he’s just a really big cheerleader,” Karen Sorensen said.
In his future, Sadler plans to do some remodeling, work on boats, go fishing, and have high quality years with his family. He encourages students to follow their own personal path that fits into their goals, and listen to nobody who says it isn’t possible.
“I got into teaching because I always wanted kids to know they can do whatever they want. No matter what.” Sadler said.
