After almost four decades in the classroom, Jennifer Gosselin of Edgecomb Eddy School is celebrating her last day of school.  

Originally from Massachusetts, Gosselin took her love of children and her love of Maine to her top-choice college, University of Maine at Orono, where she pursued a degree in childhood development and a K-8 education certification. However, a career wasn’t her ultimate goal.  

“I went there for four years thinking, ‘I'll find a husband. I won't need to work.’ That didn't happen,” she said, laughing. 

Instead, Gosselin went straight into teaching. She landed a job as an educational technician in a Title I reading program in Kennebunk, before moving on to teach first grade in Sanford. It wasn’t until finding her Mr. Right and resettling in the Boothbay region to raise a family that she discovered her “heaven on Earth": Edgecomb Eddy School. Fewer kids and more involved parents, what wasn’t there to love?  

That was in 1995. Now, 30 years, one new school building and multiple K-2 classrooms later, Gosselin looks back on her tenure fondly. 

“My greatest reward has been watching all of (my students) grow up and come back as productive members of society ... You feel a sense of pride and hope that maybe you had a little tiny influence on that success.” 

That sense of connection is exciting, whether it’s a former student achieving academic recognition, coming back to share their skills with the school, or dropping off their own child for their first day.  

The latter occurrence partly informed Gosselin’s decision to retire. “When you realize that you've been teaching longer than some of the younger teachers have been alive, it's time to maybe pass the torch.” 

Things have also changed since she first started, particularly with the integration of technology into the classroom. The internet has made it easier for kids to interact with age-inappropriate content, and Gosselin has noticed that students seem more worldly and "less innocent" than in the past. At the same time, there are also benefits, she said. Students demonstrate a general tech saviness that makes using online review materials and break activities useful.

But no matter the challenges, Gosselin is walking away from her teaching career with not only fond memories, but also an important lesson her students have taught her: Patience. “There's so many kids that come from so many different backgrounds. You have to have patience, (meet them) where they’re coming from, and bring them as far as you can.” 

As for her post-retirement plans, Gosselin recalled the words of husband Mark, who pointed out she’s been participating in the back-to-school season for over 57 years, since she was 4. "’It's time for you to enjoy the fall and take a break.’” 

This includes traveling across the country and seeking volunteer opportunities if she ends up with “too much time on (her) hands.”