Candace Bremner
High school English teachers always have something to mark.
Every weekend and every evening was spent working. That is why I resigned the first time. Not because I didn’t enjoy it. I have to tell you that I loved teaching. I loved the people that I worked with, but I resisted it because of the hard work.
I probably fought against teaching for 15 years. I thought there must be some easier way to make money. So, I left teaching three or four times to go into something else, but I hated that, pretty much every minute of it, even though I was earning three times more.
At around the age of 40 or so, I finally accepted teaching, because I had pretty much made a mess of my personal life. I had married someone whom I later divorced, and I had two children to look after.
Out of desperation, I took a job, but it came with a managerial position. I had resisted leadership and management, but I was forced into it. Ironically, by accepting leadership, it led me back to teaching.
When I finally went back to teaching, but in a leadership position at a private school, I saw that there was more to a job than an everyday drudge. All of a sudden, I could use my vision and creativity to solve problems that I never had to solve before.
This is where I developed the skills of leadership, and I discovered: “Oh my goodness, I can see the point of this.”
I can see the point that helping people is the only way to being happy. When I accepted that, I became content.
I have 10 years until I have to retire, and I hope that I can continue teaching, even if it is just part-time. — Candace Bremner as told to Gemma Ritchie