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Person N57-28b

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by Jim Adams
  
"My year at Hamilton Normal School, 1952/53, went by so fast I barely remember it. I do remember that it was a great experience. The many weeks of practice teaching in one and two room schools were especially enlightening. The teachers who spent their careers teaching in that environment knew how to teach and earned their money -- what little they got.

"My first position was teaching music (I did actually have a music background and a Department of Education Intermediate Music Certificate) at Port Dover Public School. I taught music each morning from kindergarten to grade eight and had two choirs to boot and then taught the grade eight class of 43 students in the afternoons. It took just one year for me to realize that, as much as I love music, that job was not for me. I taught a grade seven class the next year.

"I moved to Simcoe North School to a grade five class (there were 52 students for a two-week period just after the Christmas break).

"The next eight years were spent in the Simcoe Public School system. I spent two years as principals’ relief in the grade eight classes at North, South, and Elgin Schools in Simcoe. I became vice principal of South School, a position I held for six years. It was a pleasure to teach with two of my favourite former teachers -- Bertha McKnight and Rhea Minshall.

"My love of sports and the possibilities of coaching at the secondary school level took me to Port Dover Composite School. I taught special education, mathematics, physical education, and geography, at PDCS and coached every sport that was played there. After eighteen years at Port Dover I spent a year and a half at the Board office reorganizing the former High School Diversified Occupations Programs in the five high schools in Norfolk into the Vocational Program at two schools. My last five years were at Delhi District Secondary School as vice principal.

"Involvement in extra-curricular activities by both staff and students is, in my opinion, as important in education as the academic curriculum. I did them all and encouraged students to do so as well.

"My wife, Inda, and I were married in 1952. We have four children and currently have ten grandchildren and six great grand children. They are all involved in sports and other activities!

"I retired in 1987. Inda and I did the Florida thing for twenty years. Since then I have been very involved in the Simcoe Lions Club and as an unofficial volunteer at the Norfolk Hospital Nursing Home where Inda is a resident. I even played some Old Timers’ Baseball!"

 
Copyright 2017 John Cardiff