It has been a very hectic last couple of weeks as I approach my final working day. I had made a promise to myself when I took up my first leadership post in 1977. It was that I would be actively contributing to education right up until I retired.
Today was an example of how I’ve kept that promise. I had a meeting with the President of our Principals’ Association to lobby for them to support the teaching of languages in primary schools. I have been on the Department’s Languages Steering Committee for several years and it is a concern of the committee’s that because of the problems that beset the teaching of languages in our schools, Principals are unaware of some of the negative outcomes that will accrue to Australian society if we do not support moves that will enable our students to be bilingual. If they are not then it won’t be long before monolingual people in Australia will be regarded as not up to standard in a world where English is loosing its grip as the world’s main language.
I also wrote a brief paper on the reasons why gradings of A – E should not be used to report to parents on the learning achievements of students in the first threee years of their education.
I was at an event last night to celebrate the finishing of my career as a teacher and the Chairperson of the school’s Governing Council had found my blog! I couldn’t believe it. To know that I could be found on the internet and that in the end I might be of use to some-one ‘out there’ is very exciting.
Well, I’ve started on a very steep learning curve which just goes to show that my by-line is a reality.
I was working with two much younger teachers, one who was assisting us in setting up this site, the other who is looking at ways in which she can maintain a cv that will help her improve her status as a classroom teacher.
It was an exciting way of making sure that I could be a part of a changing world. The notion that I have put myself ‘out there’ for an unknown world is quite a challenge.
I had to consider what it was that I could offer to the profession that I was retiring from so that I could maintain my links with the world of education albeit in a different way.
It will be quite exciting to see if I strike a cord with anyone but that means I have to be prepared for disappointment as well.
The purpose of this site is to inform readers of my ability to mentor teachers, my availability to support student teachers during practica and my ability to edit educational texts.
Feel free to contact me if you would like my assistance.
helenseretis(at)bigpond.com
