After teaching for nearly five decades, Richard Beighline handed out his last AP Calculus exam to his students this week at the International School in Bellevue. He is set to retire at the end of this school year, trading in the classroom and exams for the quiet hum of the birds.

“When it gets too noisy in the classroom I tell my students to stop and listen to the chickadees outside the window,” Beighline said with a smile.

Beighline began his teaching career in January 1960 in Berkeley, Calif. He taught math and science at a junior high school and traveled to Germany to teach military dependents for a year. In 1965, he moved with his wife to Bellevue and began teaching at Bellevue High School. He spent the next 31 years teaching at Bellevue High and retired in 1996 – or so he thought.

After some prompting from the International School, he came back to teach AP Calculus and stayed for the past 12 years.

“I’ve been very fortunate in that I have always liked going to school to teach. There has never been a day that I said, ‘oh I want to stay home or I wish it were Saturday.’ I would rather come and teach these wonderful kids any day,” he said.

Over the years, Beighline has watched Bellevue change inside and outside the classroom.

“In 1965, the tallest building was only three stories high and now look at the skyline,” he said. “Teaching has also changed. When I started teaching, it was all linear, and kids staying in their rows. Now kids work more in groups and talk about the math problems and solve them together. I encourage my students to use whatever learning style works for them.”

Beighline plans to do a little traveling and work in his yard once his classroom days are over.

“I’ll miss teaching my students and working with the faculty,” he explained. “They have all been so good to me, but after 48-and-a-half years, it’s time to do something else. “

Words from his AP Calculus students:

“He loves math and is completely obsessed with it in a good way.” – Brenden Lau, Junior

“It is obvious that he loves his profession.” – Desiree Hansen, Senior

“He is more concerned with learning than anything else. He wants us to truly understand math.” – Tiernan O’Rourke, Senior

“He is an extremely successful motivator and makes students want to learn math. Whether they like math or not, they just want his respect.” – Will Glenny, Senior

“I use to hate math and now I look forward to it every time I walk in this classroom.” – Dafna Szafer, Sophomore

“He takes everyday things and applies them to math in a way that we can understand.” – Desiree Hanseen, Senior

“He is an overall happy teacher and it makes you want to be around him.” – Alan Zhu, Senior