Students sad as 'favourite' Border teacher Lynn Macleod retires

Lynn Macleod farewelled students and colleagues at Albury Public School on Friday, where she has been working for the last 14 years.

"I don't have any regrets," she said.

"Teaching's been a wonderful career and I'd recommend it to anyone as long as you have a love, joy and passion for being around children.

"They keep you young and they're god's gift.

"I can't love them enough."

Ms Macleod started teaching in 1977 and has had a varied career working at schools in Albury, Holbrook, Jindera, Jingellic, Sydney and Toronto, Canada.

"I've been to nine schools and I've had 11 principals," she said.

"I've taught everything, but they haven't given me kindy for a while.

"I always say it's because I'm too tall, so it's too far to bend over."

Albury Public School principal Lianne Singleton said she wished Ms Macleod well.

"Lynn is one in a million when it comes to teachers," she said.

"She has dedicated her life well and truly ... I don't think I've met someone as dedicated," she said.

"She is known. She is the sort of teacher that parents want their kids with, because she's really good at the basics and just loves the kids as if they were her own and they know that they're really loved and cared for in her classroom."

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Year 5 student Vivienne Field said the children would miss Ms Macleod "loads".

"She taught me in Year 2 and she gave me this book, 'Once Upon a Slime'," she said.

"I really like Miss Macleod, she was one of my favourite teachers.

"Me and [my friend] used to always wait near the office and when Miss Macleod came she sometimes brought us something to eat from the staff room.

"She's a good teacher; she's fun and she's kind.

"I'm really sad about her leaving."

Ms Macleod plans to volunteer with children in her retirement.

She is encouraging to anyone considering entering the profession.

"My message would be come into and do it if you do have a passion, if you love children and they make you get out of bed everyday," she said.

"Be patient with them, love them all, use humour and teach them respect and self respect, but more importantly give them respect first and that'll come back to you in spades."

Reflecting on her career and the profession, Ms Macleod said teachers weren't as respected as they used to be.

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"When I first started teaching it was more revered," she said.

She also said parents wanted to be more involved in their children's education.

"They're demanding more of teachers and teachers are doing their best, but they're probably not feeling as valued as they could be," she said.

"It would make a huge difference to teachers if they've been given a compliment and every now and then just saying something nice to them.

"As teachers we're fully aware that we can't always ring a parent when we've got a complaint, we have to counter balance it with something fantastic, so I think it would be good if it worked both ways."

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