SIOUX CENTER—He might live in Sioux Falls, SD, but Sioux Center High School is where Todd Leffring feels at home. After 23 years of teaching social studies, sociology and other courses, he will retire at the end of the school year.
Even though retirement is approaching for the 63-year-old, he’s still as energetic as ever in the classroom. As he reflects on his teaching career, there are two main things he’s proud of: that he hasn’t gotten burned out and the relationships he’s built up with the students, some of them now his colleagues at school.
“Some teachers when they get to be this age are burned out,” Leffring said. “If you walk in my classroom, I’m still doing what I’ve always been doing. The stories, the enthusiasm. And in between periods, I’ll sit down because I’m exhausted. When that bell rings, I’ll get up and you can’t tell I was exhausted. If I’m enthusiastic and make those connections, the kids enjoy my class more and learn more.”…