Caroline Gyde will be leaving Dannevirke South School and taking on a new role at Tararua REAP. Photo / Leanne Warr
Caroline Gyde's "passion" has spanned a quarter-century at Dannevirke South School.
But she has no doubt she'll still see them from time to time when she takes up her new role at Tararua REAP.
After about 25 years at the school, she decided it was time for a change.
She will be continuing to work in education and hopes to continue supporting schools in the district.
Gyde began her teaching career in the Waikato before deciding to travel with her husband and teach in England.
When they returned to New Zealand, they moved to Dannevirke and had three daughters close together.
Her eldest was six when she began working at Dannevirke South School about 25 years ago.
At first it was just part-time, half a day a week but then she took on fixed-term roles, or relieving positions all around the district, but spent more time at South.
She decided to apply for a permanent role at the school and eventually went on to become a team leader, then a walking deputy principal where she didn't have a class but would take over one if necessary.
"You kind of become a jack of all trades as a DP," she says.
When the former principal, Stephen Snell, took a sabbatical and then left the school, she took over as acting principal until Caroline Transom took on the role.
"I think I've done every job here," she says.
Teaching was something she says she 'fell into'.
"My father was a teacher and we always lived around education. That probably had some sway."
She had got to seventh form and still had no idea what she wanted to do with her life, but her parents couldn't afford to send her to university.
She'd considered joining the navy but back then they didn't allow women at sea.
Teacher's college was the next choice.
"It wasn't a passion to start with," Gyde says.
Then she discovered she loved learning.
"I did my last year at Massey and finished my degree," she says. "I didn't want to leave. I wanted to do another degree."
Teaching turned out to be the perfect choice for her.
"My passion is watching children learn, grow and develop," Gyde says.
Seeing them come back years later, knowing they are about to go out and do something wonderful, is what makes it rewarding, she says.
"My core belief is that I can make a difference to our society. I'm not going to make a difference to every child, but if I can do it for a few, and another teacher can do it for a few more, then slowly we make a difference."
One of the more rewarding parts of her job is seeing the ways children have grown.
"There's something really exciting about seeing kids who have struggled through their primary school and then you meet them when they're 25. You know all the hard work you've put in has come together and they've become really successful in what they've chosen to do.
"It's neat to see their success."
It is hard work being a teacher, Gyde says.
"There are not many jobs out there where you're in a classroom, with very little adult contact all day, but you're responsible for 25, 30 little people's physical, emotional, academic, social well-being.
"Sometimes they get it wrong, like everyone, but I think the job that we have is enormous. I actually think people don't understand until they come into a school or work in a school."
Gyde finishes at the end of the term and will start her new role in February.
She feels it was the right time to go.
"I wanted to leave when I was still passionate about the job," she says.
She adds she will miss the people she has worked with at the school.
"We've had a lot of laughs, a lot of tears.
"We have a really strong staff culture. We look after each other.
"I feel that I've been lucky to work here."
'Good on them for showing up. But there's no place for their business in Pākōwhai.'