Texas' dedicated educator: Houston-area woman still teaching at age 90

In this photo taken on Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, substitute teacher Dorothy Deck Hargrove watches third grade students illustrate a poem, at North Pointe Elementary School, in Houston. Hargrove, who is 90-years-old, has taught for more than 65 years and has no plans of slowing down.
In this photo taken on Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, substitute teacher Dorothy Deck Hargrove watches third grade students illustrate a poem, at North Pointe Elementary School, in Houston. Hargrove, who is 90-years-old, has taught for more than 65 years and has no plans of slowing down.

HOUSTON-Dorothy Deck Hargrove has spent most of her life as a teacher.

She has subbed in every grade from kindergarten to fifth, as well as teaching physical education, art and music.

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But even after more than 65 years as a teacher, she has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

At age 90, Hargrove spends most of her days surrounded by students in the Clear Creek Independent School District in the Clear Lake City section of suburban Houston. Last year, of the 177 instructional days in the school year, she filled in for one teacher or another on 122 of those days.

"I've worked my entire life," Hargrove told the Galveston County Daily News. "But I wouldn't have it any other way, these children bring me so much joy."

And while her life has been filled with lots of happiness, she also has experienced quite a bit of tragedy, she said.

She vividly remembers losing her father in a refinery accident in Baytown when she was a child, and years later her first husband drowned in a boating accident soon after he returned home from World War II.

"I haven't always had the best experiences, but it's made me appreciate all that I have today," Hargrove said. "And I tell my kids, 'Always make it the best you can.'"

Hargrove began teaching in 1950, she said. She earned her first degree in secondary education with the dreams of teaching English.

"Classes were much bigger and it was more structured-there wasn't so much group work between students," Hargrove said.

But in 1950 no one needed a secondary English teacher. So, she went on to become an elementary math teacher, which were in short supply then and still are today.

So, for more than 20 years she taught. But in 1972 she decided to "retire" and spend some time pursuing another of her passions, traveling with her husband, Royce, after he retired.

The couple traveled across the United States, Europe, China, Australia, Egypt and Chile.

In her lifetime, Hargrove has visited every continent except Antarctica, she said.

Most recently, she took a cruise to Cabo San Lucas with her children and grandchildren to celebrate her 90th birthday on Christmas day.

But beyond all of the travel and cultural experiences, Hargrove wanted nothing more than to return to the classroom and the children.

Today, she devotes most of her time to classrooms in the Clear Lake area schools, because they're closest to her home; but she sometimes winds up in others throughout the district, she said.

To this day, she still looks forward to those early morning phone calls from school administrators looking for a substitute, she said.

Her wealth of knowledge and lifetime of experiences make it easy for her to adapt to an array of lesson plans and any student she comes into contact with, North Pointe Elementary School Principal Jennifer Buckels said.

School staff and students feel lucky to have had her because of her willingness to teach children and her always happy disposition,
Buckels said.

That's something Hargrove hopes to pass along to each of her students.

"Every day, we start the morning by looking at the calendar," Hargrove said. "I tell the students, 'This is the only day we're guaranteed, so make the best of it-each and every day.'"

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