It may seem obvious that things change over time. Perhaps less apparent is that things also remain pretty much the same.

Decades ago “tablet” referred to a pad of paper, schools didn’t need wifi passwords and smoking on campus was a-OK, judging by the cloud seeping from the teachers lounge. But the fundamentals of education endure year after year.

“A good teacher in 1960 is a good teacher today,” said Brian Jobe.

Last week Jobe ended an 18 year term with the North Callaway school district, the last five as principal at the high school. He leaves to become assistant director of the Nichols Career Center in Jefferson City, where Jobe has his home.

The commute has cost him time with family and put a couple hundred thousand miles on his pickup. So the opportunity to live close to work had enough appeal to lure him from Thunderbird Drive.

Yet Jobe says he now fully understands the Shakespearean observation that parting can bring sweet sorrow.

“I feel like the collection of memories I have from North Callaway are better than I deserve,” he pointed out.

Caring about students and their achievements is a constant for good teachers and administrators. It’s one of those features that carries over through the decades.

That does involve faculty and staff in some difficult family situations. But it also brings the satisfaction of watching former students succeed in life and work.

For a school district to perform as it should a certain bond must develop between teachers, administrators, staff, students and families. That’s Jobe’s understanding, anyway.

“There has to be a collective trust,” he said. “When you have that, you have an amazing school.”

It’s another aspect of education that has remained unchanged over time. That’s why Jobe finds the introduction of virtual instruction somewhat troubling. Distance learning can unravel that bond if an electronic provider is not fully vetted and committed to the community.

Change isn’t to be avoided. The fundamentals must adapt to new technologies and methods.

“Our purpose is to help kids be successful,” Jobe observed. “I feel successful when they are successful.”

Of course, there’s another bit of satisfaction he gleans from encounters with former students.

“One of my favorite parts is that kid who made fun of you for being bald,” Jobe said. “You see him 20 years later and he’s bald.”

That’s another thing that remains the same. Kids will be kids.