Schultheis retires from Colton

Garth Meyer | Jun 14, 20180

Colton third and fourth grade teacher Brenda Schultheis retired June 8 at the conclusion of the school year, her 18th year at the school and 38th in a career that included 14 years at two other elementary schools, and three years in Colfax.

She began her career in 1980.

“I'm old enough to have used ditto machines,” she said, referring to devices which carbon paper was cranked through for one copy at a time. “The changes in technology have been very good. It's good for the kids to learn as much as they can, and they have no fear of it.”

A contemporary item she salutes is the document camera, which sits on her desk and shines light under a page, which a projector shines on the wall.

“It can show my computer screen too,” said Schultheis, current students in Colton are grandchildren of her husband's cousins.

Her husband, Tom, is a retired farmer and loan officer.

"We plan to do some traveling, camping and visiting relatives,” Schultheis said.

She will also work as a substitute teacher at Colton.

Deciding to retire in April, Schultheis began to go through and clear out items throughout the spring.

Any surprises found?

“A behavior check sheet for a student 20 years ago,” she said, referring to a way to specifically communicate with a child's parents. “He turned out really successful.”

Schultheis grew up in Spokane Valley and earned a bachelor and masters degree in reading from Eastern Washington at Cheney. She knew she wanted to be a teacher since childhood.

“I remember playing school with any neighborhood kid that would,” she said. “I just thought being a teacher would be fun, and it was.”