Although almost every student who has passed through the Granite Falls School District has had beloved teacher Mr. Randy Cash, it’s not commonly known that he recently announced his retirement!
Mr. Cash has been teaching for upwards of 34 years, and has been in Granite Falls for nearly 30 of those years. He has dedicated his life to this district and the students in it. In fact, the thing he’ll miss most is “without a doubt, the interactions with students.” Cash even added that that was the reason he never went into administration, as so many other teachers have – he says there’s “nothing better than seeing the students grow and take control over their learning.”
Over the course of his teaching career, he has taught many subjects, from the basics of computers and typing, to Washington State History. Although he loves history (as he loves to tell stories of “the good old days”), his hands-down favorite class to ever teach was Tiger Media Management (commonly known as TM2). Unfortunately, due to unforeseen changes, all of Mr. Cash’s CTE classes were dissolved this past year, including his beloved Tiger Media. Many students cite Tiger Media as their favorite part of middle school, as it was “the hub” of the school, and they still talk about and wear the TM2 hoodies they received. TM2 played an active role in planning school dances, the annual Easter Egg Hunt, creating the yearbook, and running The Jungle, GFMS’ student store.
Mr. Cash originally began his teaching career in Montana before moving to the Granite Falls School District. Whether in Montana or Washington, he certainly left a lasting impression with his students. In fact, “…even students that I taught back in Montana in the ‘80s still contact me and appreciate what I did back in the ‘olden days’, and students from Granite still contact me and reflect about all the trips to DC/NY,” notes Cash. Students definitely appreciated that Mr. Cash didn’t adhere to the traditional “get out your textbook” approach of teaching, and instead infused some creativity into the curriculum he designed for his class.
So what happened? Why is this Mr. Cash’s year to retire? Well, he says he “hung up his teacher hat” for a few different reasons: Firstly, health hiccups. Awhile ago, a student flung their backpack towards the building, and Mr. Cash, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, slipped on it and tumbled to the ground. This tumble essentially tore his shoulder apart, and doctors said the muscles and tendons in his shoulder were “hanging on by a thread.” This required extensive shoulder surgery, (“…surgery, 6 anchors, and a whole lotta sling wearing 24/7 for months on end,” describes Cash) which of course required extensive recovery, so Cash was unable to finish out this school year.
Secondly, he has dedicated almost every waking moment for the last 30 years to this school district, and this time off has given him the opportunity to think about what he wants to do in this next chapter of his life. He wants to travel with his wife more, ride his bike more, ski more, and babysit his granddaughter more. Mr. Cash very much looks forward to being able to do what he wants, whenever he wants. He is also taking his health very seriously, and as school can cause teachers immense stress, part of taking his health seriously involves not returning to a stressful environment.
Lastly, with TM2 and Mr. Cash’s other CTE classes going extinct, his passion for teaching began to lessen. If he couldn’t teach what he loved teaching, school would become no fun. Mr. Cash described TM2 as “the gateway to creativity, tinkering, and real-world skills.” So, with some health issues, school class changes/administration issues, and taking his health and the future more seriously, this became Mr. Cash’s last year with Granite Falls School District.
“So there you have it. Retirement knocked on my door, and I answered. The next chapter awaits – a mix of sunsets, camera clicks, and maybe a few rounds of putt-putt golf. Life’s like a movie reel, and I’m ready for the sequel,” explains Mr. Cash. He will remember the last 30 years fondly, but has nothing but high hopes and excitement for the future!
As Mr. Cash has had lots of adventures and good times in his life, it seemed only right to get some words of wisdom from him. Cash leaves us with this to think about: “Remember, my young friends, sometimes the best adventures begin when you get out of your comfort zone and step into the unknown.” Thank you for all your years of dedicated service and the legacy you have left us with Mr. Cash. We’re all sending lots of good thoughts your way for the future!
