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Three of Red Beach School’s most long-serving teachers are retiring this term – collectively they devoted almost 80 years of effort to the school.
What all of them will remember most fondly is the many children they have taught.
Camille has kept class photos from all her 27 years at the school, along with notes from the children and cards from parents.
Some ex-pupils stop them while out shopping in places like the supermarket or Bunnings to say ‘hi’.
“It’s lovely that they remember you – just as we remember them,” Denise says. “It’s good to see how they are doing now.”
They agree that the highlights of a long teaching career are seeing students make progress with learning.
Denise calls it ‘the aha moment’ – “when a light goes on and the penny drops”.
There are many fond memories, but they also have some advice for today’s beginning teachers – “they need to know that you do it for the love, not the money,” Camille says.
Helen says the key is to be flexible – it’s not a 9am-3pm job, and not 40 weeks a year. “There’s a lot of extra time involved,” she says.
“A teacher’s job is to put the joy into learning,” Denise says. “My passion is for learning, not teaching. The difference is that you are there to help kids learn, not to teach them something. They don’t remember the maths equation – it’s the fun stuff that stays with them.”
The three teachers agree that kids are kids, but the issues they face are changing.
Lockdown was particularly hard, trying to stay one step ahead while teaching online.
“There was a lot of ‘just in time’ learning,” Camille says.
While they are all looking forward to retirement, it will be a wrench to leave the school community behind.
“I will miss all the people involved in a school – teaching and admin staff, outside agencies, kids and parents,” Helen says.
