Not Retiring - Just Moving On

Kristi Bohl has been a teacher in the Ulysses school district for the past 18 years. Before taking a full-time teaching position, she was a stay-at-home mom and substituted in the district. When contacted about doing a retirement story, Kristi said, “I’m not really retiring. I’m only ___ years old!” She, however, is leaving teaching after making an impact on so many students over the years.

Kristi and her husband, Marty, have been married for almost 31 years. They came to Ulysses in 1996 and all four of their children attended Ulysses schools and graduated from Ulysses High School. Marty works for Corteva Agriscience as a Territory Manager.

Their oldest child is Derek who is married to Katie. They live in Abernathy, Texas where he is the Sound Production Manager at the Buddy Holly Hall in Lubbock. Next is Craig who is an Agronomist for CropQuest here in Ulysses. His wife, Aubree, is the volleyball coach at the high school. Craig and Aubree are parents to the only grandchildren so far -- Witten and Sutton.

Ashlin is the Bohl’s only daughter. She loves to travel and her job as an Experiential Marketing Manager takes her all over the country. The youngest child is Braden. He is an industrial engineer for Lockheed Martin in Greenville, South Carolina.

Having her children all grown and living across the country was one of the main reasons that Kristi chose now to leave teaching. She wants to have the flexibility and freedom to visit her family and spend time with her grandchildren as often as possible, or as she says, “just on a random Tuesday afternoon in October.”

What does Kristi think she will miss most about teaching? She replied, “I will miss the kids and the laughs we could have together, as well as the literature. I loved reading stories with the kids and seeing how much they would come to love a story as much as I do, like ‘The Outsiders’. I will also miss the teachers that I have become close friends with over the years.”

When asked what her favorite part about being a teacher is, Kristi said, “Christmas break, spring break, summer break! I also enjoy seeing my former students around town and even now to work with them and see their children in class.” What was her least favorite part of being a teacher? Testing, data, grading, mornings and all-day meetings.

Kristi’s plans for the future are to spend time with her family and travel around to see them as well as other sites. She also plans to work in her garden and yard. She would like to take up some new hobbies, like quilting. Kristi will also be doing some substitute teaching to make a little extra cash to finance all her new adventures!

Kristi shared a little bit about her time as a teacher and the kids she has taught. “Junior high kids are funny. I laugh almost every day with these kids. I wish I would have started a journal to keep track of the things that made me laugh over the years. Many people think this is the worst age to teach, but I don’t agree. I have a done a poetry project in 7th grade English every year. I share my own poetry that I have written. I get to know some of the kids really well through their poetry. I laugh and cry for some of my students and what they go through and write about. They have made an impact on my heart.”

As a final note, Kristi had this to say, “I started teaching at Kepley Middle School when my oldest son was a sixth grader and my youngest was a first grader. Being a teacher here in Ulysses gave me the opportunity to watch my children grow and learn and participate in sports and activities through the school system and connect with their lives and their teachers. Teaching is a great job for a mom who wants to be involved in her children’s education and activities.”