Retiring music teacher felt most job satisfaction after Christmas programs

Kathy Clucas has cleaned out her desk, packed up her favorite songs, said goodbye to the students she has enjoyed working with and taken a last look at the three Greybull schools where she has spent the last 20 years teaching music.
Clucas is retiring a year earlier than she had planned due to health concerns. “I was diagnosed with Meniere’s syndrome, which is a condition affecting the inner ear. Music obviously has a lot to do with sound. It has become very difficult to manage this while teaching music,” she explained.
Clucas began her teaching career when she taught music for three years at Northside Elementary in Lander, then a year in Casper.
She spent her first 13 years in Greybull as a para before returning to music.
“I spent a couple of years teaching general music at the elementary school. I traveled to the high school for two periods where I taught a rhythm and movement class and choir both for middle and high school students.”
What part of her work gave this multi-talented teacher the most satisfaction?
“It was the moment when the Christmas program was finished. The students were so happy, felt like they had accomplished something big, which they had. I felt like I had accomplished something too, which I had. There’s nothing like working hard toward a performance and then savoring the success afterwards.”
During Clucas’s tenure, her job changed. At first, she struggled because classes were back-to-back, and she said there wasn’t much time to put one group’s materials away and get the next group’s materials out. “I was thrilled when the schedule changed and I had five minutes between groups.”
After Clucas had stopped teaching music at the middle school, the elementary school hired her as an additional reading instructor. “I, as a para, was trained in Wilson Reading, so I taught a reading class at the elementary school for a few years.”
The administration changed and “eventually I was full time as the elementary music teacher, no traveling and no reading groups.”
What will Clucas miss the most about her role? “I will definitely miss the hugs from kids, the smiles and the laughter that is so genuine. I’ll miss the staff as well. I have developed some good friendships while working at GES and I’m really grateful for that.”
She said she won’t miss the stress that comes with any job or the time schedules.
Kathy and her husband Lee, a longtime math teacher who retired a couple of years ago, plan to stay in Greybull. They have two grandkids in Cody, and they own their home in Greybull. “Housing is expensive right now so unless we win the lottery, we’d be nuts to relocate. Lee was born and raised in Greybull, and after all, we think of it as home.”
Clucas shared her closing thoughts about her career and students.
“Looking back at my first years teaching music at GES, I remember being absolutely terrified and oh, so tired. I remember thinking to myself, ‘And I have to do this again tomorrow?’ It makes me chuckle. Of course, everything got easier with time, and I do feel good about the programs I presented over the years. The community has always been complimentary, and it has been easy to come back and keep going. The kids have been a little unhappy about my leaving, which is bittersweet. I tell them, ‘Whoever they hire is going to love kids and love music, so you’ll be okay.’ I’m glad they are going to miss me, but I think I am going to miss them more.”