Jennings County High School English teacher Terry Furgason is dressed as a Civil War reenactor alongside his wife, Jan, at the 2021 Sassafras Tea Festival in Vernon. Furgason will retire this year after 37 years at JCHS and 43 as a teacher.
Photo provided
Terry Furgason is a greatly loved English teacher at Jennings County High School who has decided to retire after this school year.
Furgason was inspired to get into teaching by his high school English teacher, Dale Cutler. “He was a dynamic and charismatic teacher that I totally idolized. He was the first to suggest that I become a teacher and coach.”
Furgason has been a teacher for a total of 43 years. “I taught for two years in Northern Indiana at West Central Jr./Sr. High School in Francesville. Then I moved to Alvin, Texas, where I taught at Alvin Jr. High for one year and Angleton High School for three years.”
He became a teacher at Jennings County after stopping by one summer to visit two teachers who had previously taught with him at West Central, Dennis and Sheila Coquerille.
“After an impromptu tour of the high school and meeting the principal and the athletic director, I was offered a job at JCHS. After 37 years, I am still here.” Terry said.
Furgason graduated from Onsted High School in Onsted, Michigan. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in English secondary education from Central Michigan University and his master of arts in education degree from Ball State University.
Furgason described what he thinks it takes to teach: “To be a teacher, a person needs to be more than knowledgeable in the subject. Even having a passion for the subject is not enough. A teacher needs to be compassionate for the needs of students. If they are struggling (in class or at home), the teacher needs to be aware of the clues, of the needs, and then respond to help.”
He has certainly embraced his retirement. This year, Furgason has worn aloha shirts every day as a way to say goodbye to school and hello to retirement.
To conclude his thoughts on his retirement, he says, “I hope I have more time for Civil War reenacting, portraying General Lew Wallace, restoring my 1957 fire truck, learning to play banjo, and whatever else I want or need to.”
