Orla McCarthy

First Job: Little Flower Girls' School.

What it taught me: My first job was in Little Flower Girls’ School in North Belfast. I remember walking in on my first day and I immediately felt at home. The staff and students became an extended family and I learned that teaching was the best career in the world. I learned the importance of relationships, of looking behind the person and taking time to really get to know people. Finally, I learned the importance of belonging and what a fabulous place North Belfast is!

Family/status: Single.

Best advice anyone ever gave you: ‘You can do anything you put your mind to' – I was born without my right hand but was lucky enough to have a family who taught me to not let the lack of a hand hold me back. As a child learning to do every day tasks like ride a bike or knitting, I had to think outside the box, but I knew I would always find a way. I believe that advice and my attitude has helped me in my teaching career as students can see I mean what I say when I tell them they can do anything they put their minds to – they might have to take a roundabout way to get to where they want, but anything is possible! The second piece of advice given to me was always get to know your students well and know what is happening behind behaviour. This advice has been invaluable in dealing with hundreds of students over the years – relationships always come first and there is nothing that can replace a positive caring relationship.

Best advice you could give someone thinking of a teaching career: Take time to really get to know your students – if students see you taking time to find out what they are interested in and you let them know about you, then teaching no longer becomes a job, it's a privilege! Teaching is all about relationships. There’s nothing can replace the feeling of sadness and pride when a class moves on – but in teaching, the good news is, if you stay long enough, you get to teach the children of past students all over again.

I grew up just outside Portaferry on the Ards Peninsula, the youngest of six girls. I went to school in St Columba’s Portaferry before completing my A-Levels at Our Lady and St Patrick’s Knock. From a very early age, I wanted to be a teacher as I wanted people to see that having a disability was not an obstacle to following your dream. I went to St Mary’s University where I trained as a Religious Studies teacher. On qualifying, I got my first job teaching RE in Little Flower Girls’ School where I spent the next 20 years loving every minute of working in North Belfast. I am continuing this journey in our new amalgamated school, Blessed Trinity, and I am privileged to have the opportunity to work with fabulous staff and student body – every day is a new adventure!