When Sunbury College principal Stephen Smith started as a teacher at Noble Park Secondary College 40 years ago, he was always in it for the long haul.
‘‘I’ve never really seen this as a job,’’ he said. ‘‘I’ve always seen it more as a vocation. But if you’d told me 40 years ago that I was going to be a principal, I might have been more surprised.’’
Mr Smith was one of 264 teachers from across the state recognised for their long service last week.
The former geography teacher said that while technology had been an obvious agent of change since the 1970s, the way things were handled was also vastly different.
‘‘We have become much more accountable and that’s a good thing,’’ Mr Smith said.
‘‘When I first started, we were not held accountable for what we taught and many of our students didn’t achieve.’’
Asked what advice he would give to young teachers, Mr Smith said: ‘‘You’ve got to have a thick skin.
‘‘You’ve also got to be able to drive out the gate at the end of the day and not worry too much about work.
‘‘I would encourage them to seek advice. Don’t think if you ask for help it’s showing weakness, because it is a very complex job.’’
Gisborne Secondary College science teacher Kelvin Barraclough was recognised for 45 years service, while Sunbury Heights Primary School’s Josephine Harding has racked up 40 years.
