<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3eI27Y_0vkwEM9s00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3eI27Y_0vkwEM9s00" width="1318" height="659" ><figcaption>Jon Pingle, a sixth-grade teacher at Fallen Timbers Middle School, is retiring after 34 years in the district. MIRROR PHOTO BY KAREN GERHARDINGER</figcaption></figure>BY KAREN GERHARDINGER | MIRROR REPORTER — When Jon Pingle was a junior at Anthony Wayne High School, his counselor suggested that he volunteer as a cabin leader for the sixth-grade outdoor education camp.“I really enjoyed working with those kids at camp. It really steered me toward being a teacher,” said Pingle, who will retire on September 30 after 34 years of teaching sixth grade, predominantly math, at Fallen Timbers Middle School.“I always loved school,” he said.As a student at Fallen Timbers, the building held grades 5-7, and he has fond memories of his teachers. He began playing the trombone in fifth grade and thought about quitting the next year, but his mom said, “What will you do instead?” He didn’t have an answer, so he stuck with it.“That was the best favor ever done for me,” he said, noting that the high school band experiences were among his best memories. “My freshman year, we went to the Orange Bowl and marched in the parade at Walt Disney World.”After graduating in 1986, Pingle earned a bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University and began substitute teaching in several districts, including a long-term gig at Fallen Timbers. When the teacher on maternity leave decided not to return, Pingle was hired full time. At age 22, Pingle was the youngest and only new teacher in the building, working alongside his former teachers.“There’s always been a sense of family here,” he said, noting that the best part of working at Fallen Timbers has been the friendships with his colleagues and, of course, interacting with the kids and enjoying their different personalities.“What I love about sixth grade is that they’re at the crossroads between being a kid and having a real grasp on the world and reality,” he said. “It’s fun to see those things click into place.”While math itself hasn’t changed, the tools and expectations have changed. Pingle started out using a chalkboard, then gradually moved to a whiteboard, a smart TV, a Clevertouch and an Apple TV.“Things that used to be taught at the junior high or high school level have trickled down to the lower grades in a basic way, so as kids get into the higher math, they’re making those connections,” he added.During his tenure at Fallen Timbers, Pingle earned his master’s degree in education from BGSU and served in extra positions, including grade-level chair and camp coordinator, and he assisted with intramurals, including bowling.Because his retirement is just 27 days into a new school year, Pingle didn’t get a new classroom this fall, but instead has floated around the building while substitute teaching, helping out in the office and doing what he can. It’s been eye-opening, he said.“I already knew I worked with some phenomenal teachers, but these past few weeks, going into different classrooms, I can say they’re awesome,” he said. “They’re working so hard and bringing their A game. I’m so impressed with all my colleagues.”In retirement, Pingle plans to make a list of activities he’d like to enjoy, hang out with his mini schnauzer Poppy and travel during the school year.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

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Fallen Timbers’ Jon Pingle Retires After 34 Years

BY KAREN GERHARDINGER | MIRROR REPORTER — When Jon Pingle was a junior at Anthony Wayne High School, his counselor suggested that he volunteer as a cabin leader for the sixth-grade outdoor education camp. “I really enjoyed working with those kids at camp. It really steered me toward being...