Phyllis Siegel may not have coined the phrase “Once a teacher, always a teacher,” but she certainly embodies it. Twenty years into retirement after a 30-plus-year career teaching French and sixth grade in the Mehlville School District, the 74-year-old now spends her time teaching bridge and mahjong across the St. Louis area.
“What can I say?” she says with a laugh. “I just love teaching. I love playing. I love bridge, I love mahj — and I love teaching them both.”
Siegel is passionate about both games, though for different reasons. “Bridge is a partnership game, while mahj is individual,” she explains. “You can learn mahj in one night — then it’s all about practice. The rules stay the same. But with bridge, there’s a whole series of concepts to learn before you can really start playing.”…