Deborah Sweeney

First job: Primary 1 teacher.

What it taught me: It taught me the importance of being patient, building confidence, having a sense of humour and trying to see things as the children would see them.

Family/status: I am married with two teenage sons.

Best advice anyone ever gave you: The child in your class that is maybe being the most ' difficult' is the child that needs you the most. 

This advice was given by one of the nuns when I was training to be a teacher at St Mary's. At the time it seemed like a strange thing to me for a nun to be talking about children being 'difficult' and it stuck in my head. Over the years I have come to realise the wisdom behind this statement. The reality is that children have difficult things to deal with in life just like adults do and it is my job to recognise when they need that wee bit of extra support and encouragement. Nothing has brought that home more so than the current difficulties and uncertainties my Primary 7 children have faced during the pandemic.

Best advice you could give someone thinking of a teaching career: If you want a vocation and not just a job then teaching is for you. It is very easy to get caught up in the pressures of delivering the curriculum to a high standard but often it's the things that aren't on the curriculum that matter most at the end of the day, like the bond with the children.

I have been a primary school teacher for almost 20 years and I have been privileged to teach a lot of fantastic children in that time. I have also reached that stage where children that I once taught are coming back as young adults to do work experience. While on one hand that makes me feel really old, it is also great to know that I can continue to be a help to them with their education and career path.

The things that are important to me in life are faith, family and friends. I feel lucky to be a Catholic teacher and helping children with their faith development is the most important part of my job. Knowing that the children have a strong, secure faith to help them though times has been vitally important during this pandemic. Faith is "calm within, regardless of the storm" and that's what I want for all of my pupils.