After years of teaching, what remains is often not the structure of the job itself, but the moments that stayed with her along the way. Beyond the classroom, her time at Tenafly High School is defined by memories, reflections, and experiences that reveal the deeper meaning of a long career in education.
What is a favorite memory of yours at THS?
There’s a lot, and a lot of people say Olympics. All those things are great—my first Olympics here was jaw dropping. I said, wow, they put in all this effort, resources, and time, and to take a whole day off of school for Olympics, wow. That’s definitely one of my favorite memories for sure about being at the high school.
But for me, it’s my students. Students who have made me laugh, students who have made me cry. My children went to school here, and I have told this story before where my youngest daughter was in kindergarten and I was invited to watch her read. I watched these—all of them, not just my daughter—but a class full of children reading to their parents for maybe the first time. And it just blew me over, how much impact we have, that we are teaching kids how to think, how to express themselves.
Having taught at the high school while also seeing kids go from kindergarten through twelfth grade, I have this K–12 view of the whole experience. I’m just blown away by it, and I never lose sight of that.
Can you think of a student interaction that stuck with you long after it happened?
I’m sure there are so many. At this point, it’s been 34 years. I mean, it’s not to the point where I don’t remember names, but I can remember faces and interactions. And, you know, I’m a storyteller. Anybody who’s had me knows I love telling my stories because I learned from them. Retelling them implies there’s something to learn, and that’s why I love telling them.
I’ve had so many interactions, good and bad. Not every interaction has been perfect, but I’ve learned from them, and I’m sure that the kids also learn from them.
What are some of your hobbies?
Sadly, having had a career in teaching and raising three children, I don’t have too many hobbies anymore. My kids are grown, and I’m very recently an empty nester, so I’m thinking about revisiting some hobbies I used to have. Walking has become a big one since COVID—it’s a stress reducer and very healthy.
I spend a lot of time doing things I like, like cooking. I’m a really good cook, but I don’t enjoy it—I’d much rather have someone cook for me. I used to be an avid reader, but I’ve lost that and don’t read much anymore. I’m on my phone a lot—I’ll admit that. With older parents, three kids, and a house, I don’t have a lot of free time. But traveling is definitely on my agenda.
How did you come to the decision to retire?
I’ve been doing this for a very long time. I had aspirations to move into administration, and those didn’t come to fruition. So I knew at some point I either needed a change or to participate on a larger scale. I did get involved in committees, but after 34 years of doing the same thing, it felt like it was time.
I’m eligible for retirement, and I’m ready to go for it. That doesn’t mean I’m stopping work—I just don’t know what I’ll do yet. For the first time, I’m actually happy not having to make a decision. I’m leaving doors open, maybe taking a few months to decompress and focus on the art of nothing.
What are you most looking forward to in retirement? Any plans?
For the first time in my life, I’m thrilled about not having to make a decision. I’m leaving doors open. Maybe I’ll take a few months and just decompress, focus on the art of nothing, and see what comes up. Traveling is definitely my agenda. I’ve traveled quite a bit in my life, but with a job and kids, it became difficult. So I would like to revisit that. New destinations—Greece, Italy, never been. Maybe more within the U.S. too, because I haven’t traveled that much here. I’d like to see new places and just see what happens.
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Oh, so many things. I didn’t grow up with the internet, and my parents were immigrants. They did the best they could, but I didn’t have the guidance young people have today. And I was very shy, which didn’t help.
I would put myself out there more. I would share my ideas more and be more courageous in telling people what I have and engaging in the reaction. I think I kept to myself too much and didn’t reach out. Today, I talk about networking, networking, networking—that was never communicated to me. So yeah, I would definitely put myself out there more.
What will you miss most about Tenafly High School? What has Tenafly meant to you?
Students, by and large. Having your faces—your beautiful faces—walk in every day and ask me how I am, I’m absolutely going to miss that. Just those little conversations. I’ve been cleaning out drawers and finding notes from students, and they always make me smile. It goes back to the importance of interacting with other humans—nothing can replace that.
As we move forward with AI and technology, those things should never take the place of human interaction. I feel very privileged to have worked here. I’m leaving with a sense of pride and fulfillment, and I’ll always be thankful for the wonderful students who have sat in my room.
Is there anything else you’d like the THS community to know?
I do want to say that I feel very privileged to have worked here, and I’m leaving with a sense of pride and fulfillment as a professional. I will always be thankful for the wonderful students that have sat in my room.
I can honestly say—even the ones who gave me a hard time—they’re all wonderful memories. How lucky am I? Just how lucky am I to have been able to share this passion with these kids. I’m leaving with a huge smile on my face.
Bilali leaves THS after a long career dedicated to instruction both within the class and outside. And as she closes this chapter, it feels fitting that her journey comes full circle to the phrases she has been using to greet students in September and to wish farewells in June—starting with “bonjour” and ending with “au revoir.”
