WATCH: OFHS Literature Teacher Ready to Turn the Page to Retirement

teacher Carol Flannigan has spent the past 16 years checking equations and grading papers. Although she currently is only a literature teacher at Oak Forest, Flannigan will soon find herself with even more free time and less school work than she has in a long. Flannigan will retire at the end of the year. 

Flannigan said that, while she started teaching lower grade levels when she began her career, the appeal of teaching high-school aged students quickly became apparent after having her own children.

"It was easier to have somebody who was closer to my level," she said. "I didn't want to push [my children] away because I was teaching younger kids all day."

Since she began teaching literature, Flannigan said that two books in particular capture her and her students' interests most: "Tuesday's With Morrie," and "Romeo and Juliet." She said both lead to interesting discussions and essays from her students, both of which she really enjoys. She added that essays and journal entries dealing with topics from "Romeo and Juliet" are always a highlight of the year for her.

"'Who's to blame in 'Romeo and Juliet,' that's always interesting, who they like to blame," she said. "It's very interesting because you have so many people who can be blamed and it's a variety of answers. It's always interesting to see how the kids think."

With her retirement looming, Flannigan said she is already looking forward to spending more time with her family, including her grandchildren. She also plans on taking time to hang around her recreational vehicle, which is parked in Sycamore, Il. She added that if she can find a way to teach online, either ACT prep or to home-bound students, she would get a kick out of that.

As for what Flannigan's family thinks about her upcoming date with retirement, her daughter, Beth Wicklander, who is Oak Forest High School's bookkeeper, said she's excited for her mom to be able to relax—but she'll keep mom in the loop on comings and goings at the school.

"I'm going to keep her updated with what's going on at the school, with all the latest gossip," Wicklander said with a laugh. "Not having her around is going to be odd, though."