I can't believe how lucky I've been to love what I do
- Elaine Kirk
When Elaine Kirk started teaching in the early 1980s, she thought being organised was most important.
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"But I soon learned that's not what it's about, it's about building relationships," she said.
"It's about knowing the kids, not only their strengths and what they need learning-wise, but knowing them."
Her success on this front can be measured by the many tributes coming from past students, parents and colleagues as Miss Kirk retires from Table Top Public School, where she has taught for 28 years.
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A function on Saturday will celebrate her career while the Happy Retirement Miss Kirk! Facebook group has 100 members who have posted many warm messages of appreciation.
One former pupil, now a teacher, said Miss Kirk inspired her to join the profession and "if I am half as good as you, Miss Kirk, I would be extremely happy".
Another writer felt Miss Kirk was "an incredible teacher, giving every child the best opportunity at learning" while a parent noted, "we could not have asked for a better start for our children".
"You truly have a gift and we are all lucky to have known and been educated by you," was yet another response.
Invited to join the group, Miss Kirk has been overwhelmed by what she's read.
"I still haven't quite got my head around it because every time I look at it, I start crying," she said.
"If you find your passion in life and you get to do it as a your job, it's not work and it's always been like that for me.
"I can't believe how lucky I've been to love what I do."
Originally from England, Miss Kirk arrived in Wollongong with her family aged 10 and started her first teaching job in 1981 as a governess on a property 100 kilometres west of Bourke.
Five years with the School of the Air in Broken Hill followed ("We did school lessons, like on Skippy, with the two-way radio"), then she moved south and taught three years at Howlong.
She arrived at Table Top in 1990 and stayed, mostly teaching the rural school's youngest classes.
Maxine Anstis, a student in that first year, said Miss Kirk always treated each child as an individual.
"She spent a lot of time challenging those who were ahead, but also working with those who were behind," Ms Anstis said.
"It was a very small school and we all knew each other and she was just a big part all of that, she was always involved in everything there."
Miss Kirk would share stories about her travels with her students and, as many remembered with delight, used to bring along her dog.
"I ended up taking him to school to help socialise him," she said.
"I don't think I'd be allowed these days actually, that was 15 years ago."
Former school administration manager Gayle Scott, a colleague for 21 years, said she had never seen a teacher so dedicated.
"Not just with what she's teaching the kids, but about the kids too," Mrs Scott said.
"She cared about what happened to them outside of school as well.
Mrs Scott recalled her friend creating separate learning tasks for children with special needs.
"Just going outside the box to make it easier for a child that's not coping or able to keep up with the mainstream stuff," she said.
"She just had a knack of knowing what the kids needed.
"The school's been lucky to have someone like her, caring and conscientious and always looking for new things to do with the kids and help the kids out and kept up to date, always knew what the new policies and standards were for the education department."
Miss Kirk, who celebrated her 60th birthday on Monday, encountered a second generation student recently and has realised children from her first year 6 class in Broken Hill will turn 50 this year.
She has been on leave in 2019 caring for her parents, with her career to end officially next month.
"I always thought that I was going to be one of those people who merrily skipped off into retirement, because I paint and I do mosaics and travel and I thought this is going to be great," she said.
"But the closer it got to leaving the more it was, 'Oh, I don't know about this, I'm really going to miss the place'.
"There's definitely going to be some tears, I think."
Miss Kirk will soon move from young children to those who will teach them as she takes up a liaison role with Charles Sturt University's education program.
"I feel that it's our professional responsibility to be there for the beginning teachers when they're starting, because it's really daunting when you first go into a school," she said.
"I'm really excited to be involved with educating our future teachers."
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