Opinion: Teachers deserve our thanks

Seven Otumoetai teachers are retiring together after 180 years of teaching in Tauranga - Doreen Swetman, Larry Dixon, Julie Eagle, Stewart Henderson, Anna Shaw, Alan Galletly, Colette MacKenzie.

Teachers often don't get the recognition they deserve.

It's a thankless, and often difficult, profession - but one we can not do without.

We've all benefited from the hours of preparation teachers have put in to our education - you can't get far without a decent education these days.

This week we reported on the retirement of seven Otumoetai College teachers who had a combined total of 180 years of teaching.

Teenagers can be incredibly cruel and often delight in making life as difficult as possible for their teachers but the bunch from Otumoetai College were in it for the long haul and reaped the reward of seeing their students succeed.

Over my 13 years at school, like everyone, I had my share of good and not so good teachers but there are only a couple who really stand out in my memory.

Mr Wintle, my form two teacher at Belmont Intermediate, is one of them. He saw the potential in me even when I felt way out of my depth. He pushed me to do better than I thought I could and took the time to help each student out in whatever way they needed.

It was then that I decided I wanted to be a journalist.

The other one was my history teacher at Rangitoto College. I was not sold on taking history as a subject but her enthusiasm for the subject matter was contagious.

It ended up being my favourite subject - but I can guarantee I would not have been such a fan if it was not for the effort she put into making the tales from the past come alive.

It's those teacher who go above and beyond who make school more enjoyable and help us succeed - but we often fail to thank them properly for their efforts.

As school breaks up for the year, I encourage students and parents to take the time to reflect on the efforts put in by teachers and make an effort to thank them for their work.

To all the teachers who poured hours into my education, thank you. And to those teachers retiring this year, thank you. Enjoy your retirement - it's well deserved.