Owasso substitute teacher Bob Shaffer says working with students keeps him ‘young’

Bob Shaffer, a substitute teacher in the Owasso Independent School District, told staff he has been substituting for five years and finds working with students rewarding. “I’m Bob Shaffer,” he said. “I am a substitute teacher in the Owasso Independent School District, and I’ve been substituting here for this is my fifth year.”

Shaffer said he spent 20 years in the Air Force and worked as a firefighter and education specialist. He described running associate degree programs at the Community College of the Air Force and said those experiences shaped his view of both academic and vocational training. “I got to work at the community college of the Air Force and run some associate degree programs,” he said.

After retiring for a third time, Shaffer said he took up substitute teaching to give back. “I decided to come and be a substitute teacher and kind of give back to the country that had given so much to me,” he said. He added that substituting keeps him active: “It helps keep you young. It helps keep you active.”

A staff member at the Owasso Seventh Grade Center introduced Shaffer and praised his work, saying the school community often treats him as one of their teachers and that students and staff ‘‘love Mr. Shaffer.’’ The staff member said Shaffer mainly serves the Seventh Grade Center and that faculty and students respect him.

Shaffer said he typically substitutes in sixth through tenth grades so he can follow students as they progress: “I substitute mainly at the seventh grade, but I do sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth.” He described welcoming reactions in the hallways — high fives, fist bumps and hugs — and said the experience is humbling and rewarding. “I probably get more out of the kids than they get out of me,” he said.

Shaffer closed by reiterating his pride in the district. “I’m Bob Shaffer, and I’m very honored and proud to be an Owasso Ram,” he said.