Grove Junior High teacher John Prusko putting away his lesson plans after 55 years
CHICAGO (CBS) -- School is out for summer in Elk Grove Village as of this afternoon, but for one teacher, he's packing up for good.
CBS 2's Lauren Victory introduces us to the man who is retiring at the ripe age of 77.
Goodbyes are never easy. John Prusko's farewells at Grove Junior High School in Elk Grove Village are still sinking in.
"My wife is feeling more of it than I am. I'm treating it as the beginning of summer," he said.
But it's not summer break for Prusko. The 8th grade science teacher just hung up his last beaker.
"I stumbled upon my first lesson plan book from 1968," he said.
He's spent the past 55 years at Grove. That's a lot of black and white yearbook photos and generations of students.
"I've taught their grandparents, their parents, and now I have their children," he said.
His favorite time: when he moved with the same class of kids for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.
"It was interesting to see how much they progressed, and what they were able to grasp year to year. Those were my three most rewarding years," he said.
Virtual learning during the pandemic was less pleasant, but Prusko stayed connected in a special way.
"I copied a picture from their ID cards, and posted them on the backs of their seats," he said.
Fellow teacher Alison Luxmore said Prusko "is in it for the kids 100 percent."
Luxmore is not just a Prusko superfan, she's his former student and now his former classroom neighbor.
"It's really hard to think about. I get emotional, because he is just such a huge part of Grove, and we're going to miss him," she said.
Prusko said he might resurface as a substitute teacher, or – get this – he might take a job as an auto mechanic. Where won't you see him?
"On the couch," he said.
Asked if it really feels like 55 years, Prusko said, "If I take it day by day, yes."
"If I look at in a global span, no, it doesn't really look like it," he added.
He's tried to keep current; from memes on the ceiling to learning new lingo.
"When I'm smiling and agreeing, I don't know if I'm agreeing to something good, or something on the other end of the continuum," he said.
Cash from his colleagues represent all the years he served; more than half a century of priceless lessons.
"I just, I just love doing what I'm doing," he said.
One final gift for Prusko: his very own hallway dedicated on his very last day; a small but mighty way to honor a teacher's impact.
