NSW teacher celebrates 60 years in the profession amid shortage

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Australia is facing a nationwide teacher shortage, but one woman on the New South Wales mid north coast is celebrating more than 60 years in the profession. And at 83, she's still passionate about her job, with no plans to retire just yet.

Transcript

00:00I'm Denise Walker and have been teaching for 61 years now and still counting because I'm

00:12booked again for next year.

00:14And I have taught during all those years every year, not full time but certainly during each

00:20of the years.

00:21I still love teaching, I still love relating to the children and I think they still like

00:27relating to me.

00:28I don't get tired of that either.

00:40My father being a teacher and went through to be a principal, his words of advice when

00:45I first came out teaching was, be friendly but not familiar.

00:51And that's the advice I still give to new teachers coming out.

00:54It keeps them, that little bit of a barrier that they understand, yes you're friendly

00:59but not familiar.

01:00I sucked at maths.

01:01My father taught it.

01:02My three boys did four years of maths.

01:03What's that spin?

01:04Me?

01:05Tommy.

01:06Not even on the same planet.

01:07I started at the beginning of 2000, I was still at Oak Flats High when we moved to Port

01:16Macquarie and Warhope, so I taught at all those schools but here I am at Warhope High

01:21School in 2000.

01:22Alright my lovelies.

01:23Love you.

01:24The kids are so lovely.

01:25Even the difficult kids, they come good.

01:26They eventually come good too.

01:27So I still like doing it.

01:28It's not just a job, it's a career and it's in your heart.

01:29See you later.

01:30Bye.

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