Fiona McGoldrick

First job: Cashier in local Credit Union

What it taught me: The benefits of a community working together to support each other, and to count change very, very carefully.

Family/status: Married with a two-year-old son.

Best advice anyone ever gave you: My dad is a retired principal. Before my first parent teacher meetings he said, “Always remember WB Yeats; ‘Tread softly for you tread on their dreams.’” Every child is somebody’s whole world, even though there are 30 of them in your class, so they all need to be valued and respected.

Best advice you could give someone thinking of a teaching career: Teaching is the most wonderful job because every day is different and as long as you are teaching, you are learning. You learn so much from the different topics you cover and from trying new methods and techniques, but most importantly you will learn from the children themselves.

I grew up in Belfast and from when I was a very small child, I always wanted to be a teacher, so I’m one of the few people who can say they got to live their childhood dream! I studied French at Queen’s and spent a year in Paris working as an English language assistant. When I finished my degree I did a PGCE in Liverpool Hope before returning to Belfast. I had several different posts before getting a permanent job in Lough View Integrated, where I have taught for 15 years. I ended up in the Integrated sector accidentally, but now feel very passionate about the aims and ethos of integrated education.