NORTH PLAINFIELD, N.J. – “America’s Oldest Teacher” turned 102 on Tuesday.

Agnes Zhelesnik, known as “Granny” to her sewing and cooking students, started teaching at the age of 80 and has very rarely missed a day at The Sundance School, a North Plainfield private school where her daughter, Agnes Arakelian, has also taught art and science for 30 years, ABC 8 reports.

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She works five days a week teaching youngsters the skills she perfected as a homemaker for most of her life.

“My husband didn’t approve of working – he wanted me to watch the children,” she told CBS News in 2014.

After raising her children, and helping with her grandchildren, Zhelesnik started her current career at the school and applied the same devotion she did as a mother. The centenarian hand-sews aprons for all her students and works to impart practical knowledge they’ll take with them well into adulthood, People reports.

“This is something they’re going to use for the rest of their lives,” Zhelesnik said. “They’re not going to have it just for today. You’ll be surprised how they are going to remember it when they get older.”

Sundance head W.J. O’Reilly believes Zhelesnik brings a lot more to the school than basic life skills.

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“Granny is a beam of light, this gentle strength and warmth that emanates from her at all times. We have this incredible opportunity to be in her presence and to be able to learn from her,” he said, according to The 74 Million.

“There are messages in education,” he said. “When I see her at nearly 102 with 3-year-olds and interacting in this way, I can’t even begin to understand the profundity of that kind of interaction.”

Zhelesnik said she currently has no plans to retire any time soon, in part because doing what she loves is her key to living a long fulfilling life.

“Just be happy with what you’re doing,” she said. “You have to like what you’re doing. My favorite part of teaching here is taking care of the children … this is happiness for me.”

“It’s an inspiration for everyone that she’s teaching here,” O’Reilly said. “Every day she’s very, very positive, very motivated. She’s always very much focused on the happiness of the children.”

Students talked to CBS News in 2014 – as Zhelesnik turned 100 –about why she’s so great at what she does.

“I just think she loves the children,” one student said. “She puts the love into her cooking.”

CBS News questioned: Can you taste the love?

“No, you can’t taste love, but you can feel love,” the student replied.

“And all of the children love her, because she’s so nice, so compassionate,” another student added. “She perseveres a lot.”