In 1976, when the United States was turning 200 years old, Bridgeport High School’s Anita Byrd walked into her first teaching job in Harrison County, eager to change the lives of her students. Forty-four years later, she exited her classroom, having accomplished that goal for countless students who have used the knowledge gained in her courses to become medical professionals who continue to change the lives of patients across the nation and beyond.  

 

Byrd, who taught at Salem Junior High, Roosevelt Wilson High School and Lincoln High School prior to beginning her tenure at BHS in 1990, is the most seniored retiree in Bridgeport schools this year.  She taught Anatomy I, the only Anatomy II in the county, and possibly the only Senior Science Seminar Independent Research in Comparative Anatomy in the state. Over the years, she also taught Biology I and II and Microbiology, but it was her lab classes that she will miss the most.

 

“I loved working with the students in the lab, having class discussions and seeing them become genuinely interested in learning as they were challenged more and more,” Byrd said. “I was teaching really advanced material and they stayed with me every step of the way.”

 

In addition to her coursework at BHS, Byrd also spent 16 summers training teachers for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and many years teaching for Fairmont State University. She was an active member of the Bridgeport faculty and served on the school’s Emergency Response Team, assisting with medical conditions that required Code Blue assistance within the school.

 

Students who were part of Byrd’s class were privy to a unique hourly ritual involving two bird clocks in her classroom.  She found the first one by accident and the second was purchased by students at a rummage sale.  Using her legendary humor, Byrd placed one bird clock in the front of the room and one in the back, set them one minute apart and had them feature different bird sounds each hour, making for an interesting transition during her classes.  Both clocks remain in room 117 for her successor.

 

Because of COVID-19, her last year of teaching ended in an unconventional manner, challenging her to create online labs and virtual content. Although she would have liked to have slipped out a side door discreetly on her final day at BHS, the faculty and staff gathered in the back parking lot to show their gratitude for her 44 years of service, presenting her with retirement gifts and celebrating her big day, all while masked and socially-distanced.  

 

“The retirement celebration meant so much to me and I will be forever grateful to the faculty, staff and administration at BHS for welcoming me 30 years ago and for the endless support they have given me over the years,” said Byrd.

 

Byrd begins her retirement with a catalog of memories about the students and staff, ranging from amusing reactions to dissections to the privilege of sharing coffee each morning with her brother, fellow teacher Jim Broslawsky.  For her next chapter, she plans to garden, bird watch, and stay in touch with her former students as they make their way through their professinal lives.  She looks forward to having evenings with no grading so she can fully enjoy time with her husband, Bob, and two daughters.

 

When she turned in her laptop on June 2, after the faculty reception, the finality of the retirement had an emotional impact on her.

 

“The school has been like a second home for me for so long and the students and faculty like a second family,” she said. “I will truly miss them but I look forward to the next stage as well.”

 

Byrd’s absence will create a void for BHS, as the Anatomy II and Senior Science Seminar classes will be discontinued for the upcoming year.  Her commitment to her students was obvious to all and her academic contributions immeasurable.

 

“Mrs. Byrd was committed to growing as a teacher for over 40 years,” said BHS Principal Matt Demotto. “She worked hard to give her students the best learning experience possible and held everyone to the same standard.  She delivered old school expectations with a smile and she will be missed by all.”