A PERSONAL REFLECTION

The older you become as a teacher, the more experience you gain. However, the older you get, the greater is the strain on resilience or ‘bouce back’ capacity. As a long time school principal in primary schools, I used to keep an eye on teachers and if necessary, counsel with those who were genuinely flagging, about career options.

I retired from full time principalship one month shy of my 66th birthday, for two key reasons. One was that the physical engagement I enjoyed as a classroom visitor and teacher was being pushed by administrative requirements threatening to shackle me to the desk in my office. The second was the fact that our systrem was inexorably grasping at data and outcomes measurment to the detriment of holistic educartion and the development of chiildren as people.

I retain a deep and primary interest in education as a reader, writer, mentor, coach and as a contributor to educational journals. My connection through ‘Linked In’ is part of that evolution. I write a weekly newspaper column about educational matters and have a blog at henrygrayblog.com

It is important that we give back to education because of the opportunities that have come our way.