This week, Dora Fowler resumed a familiar routine that began when Harry Truman was taking daily strolls from the White House.

At a time when half of all new teachers are statistically likely to leave the profession within five years, the 88-year-old Fowler got in her car and drove six miles to Roxbury Central School in Delaware County to begin her 58th year as a teacher.

"It's the intrinsic love she has for education that inspires me," said Roxbury Principal Tom O'Brien. He staged a May celebration to honor Fowler after learning she was even more special than he thought. Fowler, it turns out, is New York's oldest public school teacher, according to the state Teachers' Retirement System, and the second-longest continually employed teacher in state history.

"The hardest thing about being old is that people expect you to be old," said Fowler, who is not shy about rattling expectations. She celebrated her 80th birthday with a hot-air balloon ride and is considering how to top that at 90.

Meanwhile, she teaches remedial grammar and writing to fifth- and sixth-graders and provides help, when needed, with middle-level English language arts classes. She has also taught in high school.

"I believe I still have something to offer," said Fowler, who picked berries to help work her way through the State University college then known as Oneonta Normal School. "If I didn't think I was having an impact, I wouldn't be teaching."

An 'excellent experience'

Rick German, president of the Roxbury Teachers Association, hadn't worked much with Fowler in the 28 years since he succeeded her when she left fifth grade to teach high school English.

So when Fowler was assigned last year to teach writing to his fifth-grade homeroom, German admitted to "some nervousness." But it disappeared when he saw "the excellent experience" students had with Fowler.

Fowler was nearly 31 when she became a teacher in 1950 to support two young children after her first husband died unexpectedly. The only serious thought she gave to quitting was when her second husband died 15 years ago.

In her sixth decade as a teacher, Fowler is challenged not by increasing age but the relentless increase in testing from higher state standards and No Child Left Behind. "It's not that we shouldn't have standards," she said, "but testing takes up all of our time. We need time to be teachers, too."

Himself a veteran of 34 years in the classroom, NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi paid homage to Fowler in a letter congratulating her on her long career.

"You must have a wealth of experience — not to mention stories — to share with your younger colleagues," Iannuzzi wrote. "Many others would like to know the secret to your success."

Fowler does enjoy counseling younger co-workers. "They can talk to me about things they wouldn't tell anyone else," she says.

What does Fowler advise incoming teachers?

• Be a teacher first. New teachers, particularly in high school, often try to be friends with their students, Fowler says. "Be their teacher first. They need someone to look up to."

• Meet the parents. When she was new, Fowler traveled around Roxbury, getting to know the community and parents of her incoming students, some of whom are now grandparents to her newest students. Now, more than ever, she says, parents need to be involved.

• You can't reach everyone. Fowler eventually came to realize that no matter how hard you try, you won't always reach every student. Take comfort, she says, in the many you do help.

• Don't fear failure. "Get over it" might be Fowler's mantra. Try different approaches in the classroom, she says, understanding that not everything you try will work. "Learn from your mistakes and get over it," she advises.

• Get over it (Part 2). No matter how much you prepare, not every lesson will click, Fowler warns. "Kids understand. This won't hurt them. Realize what you did wrong, then get over it."

• Mind your appearance. "It's old-fashioned, but I believe teachers should present themselves as professionally as they can," says Fowler, an impeccable dresser. "Come to school dressed like a student and it seems to me you don't get as much respect."

• Learn to laugh. "You need a sense of humor if you're going to last as a teacher," says Fowler, who believes her good health is due at least in part to a sense of humor. "Learn to laugh at yourself," she advises — "and then get over it."

— John Strachan