Telling Tales - Out of School: An Honest and Lively Account of REAL Teaching!

By Wendy Smith-Gordon

Laugh, weep, be moved, challenged, and inspired, as you are taken on a journey of discovery. You might identify with the students – or relate to this teacher! Delve into her world, as she fulfils her childhood dream of becoming a wise and compassionate teacher.

She considers teaching as the greatest privilege and responsibility. She taught her school subjects, but she also taught young people life skills: how to learn, laugh, live, love, forgive – and what really matters, in this short life we are gifted.

She strongly believes that students need acceptance, and self-belief, in order to learn and to love learning – that they are worth her time, interest, and care.

Her methods of engaging the interest of students were rarely traditional. But they worked! If students had difficulty, her calling as a teacher was to “find another way”. Every time.

You will be touched not only by her variety of classroom stories, but by her honesty, humour, wit, and insights, but you’ll be hooked with her ‘teaching’ experiences as she travels with seven teenagers for three weeks in a foreign country. What could possibly go wrong?

Enjoy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Feb 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9781035825806

Wendy Smith-Gordon

Wendy taught for two years in tropical Queensland before living in France for two years. Subsequently, marriage and three children occupied normal life. The family then spent almost two years in Saudi Arabia, until their dramatic evacuation prior to the Gulf War. Back in Australia, the family fostered a severely disabled boy for ten years, later becoming his legal guardians. When the children became teenagers, she returned to teaching, her first passion. Wendy, now retired, follows other interests, including writing and loving her seven amazing and talented grandchildren, along with her special dog, Sunny, now an official Therapy Dog providing love and support to others.

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About the Author

Wendy taught for two years in tropical Queensland before living in France for two years. Subsequently, marriage and three children occupied normal life. The family then spent almost two years in Saudi Arabia, until their dramatic evacuation prior to the Gulf War. Back in Australia, the family fostered a severely disabled boy for ten years, later becoming his legal guardians. When the children became teenagers, she returned to teaching, her first passion.

Wendy, now retired, follows other interests, including writing and loving her seven amazing and talented grandchildren, along with her special dog, Sunny, now an official Therapy Dog providing love and support to others.

Dedication

To the headmaster and deputy headmaster of the school where I spent many happy and hard-working years: thank you for helping me fulfil my dreams.

To my husband, children and wonderful grandchildren: thank you for your on-going love and support. You are my world. I love each of you so very much!

To all teachers everywhere: Love your students, care for them like your own family, and never give up on trying to find a way to connect with them and inspire them.

Copyright Information ©

Wendy Smith-Gordon 2024

The right of Wendy Smith-Gordon to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

All of the events in this memoir are true to the best of author’s memory. The views expressed in this memoir are solely those of the author.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781035825790 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781035825806 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2024

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

The Colouring Pencil Dream

From four years old, despite being quiet and shy, I wanted to be a teacher. I had few toys, so I played school with my colouring pencils, standing them up like children.

They were all different colours and sizes; I liked telling them stories, explaining things and encouraging them in group and teamwork. Happy hours passed in my world of imagination. I was a kind teacher, and my students were happy.

Then I went to real school.

My Grade Two teacher was like a witch, dressed entirely in black, with a gash of bright red lipstick. Our writing needed to be perfect, with no ink blots on the page—or we suffered from the sharp edge of her ruler across our knuckles. I was six years old.

The classroom was to be silent. The boy next to me knocked my glue pot. It fell to the floor. I was sent outside, and was later confronted by the headmaster. She didn’t ask who knocked it over, only who owned it. I was punished. She smacked a little boy who whispered to his neighbour. He had to stand on a stool facing the back wall. He poked his tongue out. She saw. I remember my fear as she took off her black shoes and in her black stockinged feet crept up behind him, hitting him so hard he fell off the stool. I had never treated my colouring pencils that way. I still wanted to be a teacher, but not cruel like her.

In Grade Five, I went to a different public school with a kind and wise headmaster. Each classroom had speakers and he conducted morning devotions from his office. He prayed for us and we joined in singing a daily hymn. There were weekly assemblies where we would commit to honour the Queen, serve our country, and salute our flag. Things were very different.

He visited each class regularly, adding his own life lessons and igniting our imaginations with wonder at the world around us. He mainly taught us to love learning, and to respect all people, animals and the environment. He loved teaching, loved children, and did not want to be confined to administrative duties. He was loved and respected in return.

He died from a heart attack—mowing the extensive school grounds so they would look nice for our return after the summer holidays. A humble headmaster. I wanted to be a caring, capable and interesting teacher like him.

I became a teacher, still quiet and shy. My focus was on being kind and wise, never cruel.

Towards my career’s end, I received perhaps my most precious compliment, when the mother of a fifteen-year-old said, Mrs G, I probably shouldn’t tell you this—Andrew wouldn’t want me to. Please don’t be insulted. He said you are like everyone’s favourite grandmother. You are the Grandma all the kids wish they could have!

My colouring pencil dream was fulfilled. I was a kind teacher and my students were happy.

The American Way

A spontaneous decision to live for two years in Saudi Arabia, for a work project…

Schooling for our three? We chose the American International School. But … was this the better choice?

There were no school uniforms, as we had in Australia. Were their casual clothes acceptable and sufficiently cool? It seemed that our children’s individual tastes in clothes were fine … despite their initial fears!

They were astonished to find that their spelling was frequently marked wrong—we spell colour and neighbour and all such words differently, among many others.

They were even more astonished that their speech was not well understood. We pronounce words differently … and even use different words altogether! We spoke of bubblers—but they were drinking fountains. Many explanations of cultural differences were forthcoming. So they did things the American way for two years.

Soon they adopted American