Independent People - A teaching vocation

Last Friday, Mary Breen, the principal of St Colmcille's National School in Ballinahown, saw her students safely onto their bus home for the last time. Not only was it the students' last school day before their summer holidays; it was also Mary's last day as a teacher. Born in 1955, Mary knew she wanted to be a teacher from an early age. "That's the only thing I ever wanted to do," she said, reminiscing about time spent in her childhood "teaching" the children she would babysit. Born in Roscommon, Mary's family moved around a bit during her childhood as a result of her father's job with the Department of Agriculture. Her first move was to Athlone, a town the family would return to after a move to Portumna. Mary remembers fondly a childhood spent mainly in Clonbrusk, and elected to settle herself in Athlone in her own adult life in the Coosan area. Mary's own schooling was as a boarder in Summerhill, before going on to realise her youthful dream to teach. She did an interview to do European Languages in the University of Limerick, she said, but only as a back-up in case she didn't get the telegram to tell her she had a place in teacher training college in Carysfort, Blackrock. The telegram arrived however and a teaching career followed, with Mary's career proper beginning in 1975 with a post at the two-teacher Bloomhill National School just a few miles away from Ballinahown village. Thrown in perhaps at the deep end, Mary's first charges were four classes - Junior Infants, Senior Infants, First Class and Second Class - all in one room. Though Mary has taught all classes from Junior Infants to Sixth Class at some point in her career, she has ended her career teaching almost the same classes as she began with: Junior Infants, Senior Infants and First Class. Seven years after taking up her first teaching post Bloomhill National School was amalgamated with St Colmcille's National School, in a new school building in the village of Ballinahown. "I think the most important thing is to see the success of students, and see how much they come on, how much progress they make in a year," Mary said, commenting on her career to date. Making learning fun is what she said has worked down through the years, making students learn and keeping her joy in teaching alive as her students progressed and left her classes to go on to greater things. Teaching for 36 years in the same area has brought more benefits to her teaching career too. Mary has had the pleasure of teaching children of the first children she taught, and she feels that knowing the parents as children has helped her know the child and have a better teacher/student relationship. During her time teaching Mary and her husband Noel became parents themselves to four daughters, who all in time went to school with their mother as their teacher. "It was fine," Mary said looking back, adding that teaching in the junior end of school at the time made keeping it in the family a little easier. Now Mary has a grandchild, and she's looking forward to spending more time with her daughters and their families in retirement. Five years ago Mary took over the post of principal, a post she kept until her final day of teaching last Friday. And so to retirement, which Mary began after the last day of term last Friday. "I felt at this stage it's time to go," she said. "Hopefully I'll have the health to enjoy a long and happy retirement." Mary's retirement plans include being able to travel a little more with husband Noel, who travels quite a bit with his job with Ericsson. She's also hoping to have more time to give to her hobbies including tennis, swimming, walking, gardening and cooking. With no speciality when it comes to cooking, she says she just enjoys trying new recipes. Before that however she's hoping to just "chill" for a while after the emotional rollercoaster that was her last day of school. "It's a sad and emotional day," she said, speaking to the Westmeath Independent in the afternoon after having to postpone the chat in the morning due to the sheer number of well-wishers waiting to say goodbye to her. "I will really miss the job and the kids. And the staff of course," she said. Mary leave St Colmcille's as a four-teacher school, with an additional part-time learning support teacher and a special needs assistant. The school is to welcome new principal Mary Daly, who has been teaching in Dysart NS near Mullingar. "There's loads of fond memories," she said. No doubt the final day of term - a "fun day" when students "didn't do much but say goodbye and have cake with candles" - leaves fond memories with Mary's students too. The last few weeks have been full of celebrations, as colleagues and parents mark the end of Mary's career with meals and nights out. Another fond memory for Mary is the Mass that was celebrated in school with parents and children on Friday, June 10 last to mark St Colmcille's Day, the saint the school is named after. "I'd just like to thank the parents in general," Mary concluded. "The pupils have been fantastic. The staff that I've taught with have been great to me - we're friends as well as workmates. I'm overwhelmed with all the presents and goodwill; it's meant a lot to me. I feel so appreciated."