Meet one of Victoria’s longest serving teachers, and how she aims to inspire future educators
From outback Queensland to suburban Melbourne, Lesley Foster has seen it all in her six decades of teaching. Find out what the job has taught her.
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When Lesley Foster first picked up the chalk in 1961, there were up to 40 students in one class and blackboards had to be filled before heading home for the day.
While class sizes have significantly reduced and smart boards have replaced blackboards, more than six decades on Ms Foster’s love for teaching remains the same.
Ms Foster, 83, is one of Victoria’s longest serving teachers, currently fulfilling the role of assistant principal at Heatherwood School in Donvale – a special school for secondary students with mild intellectual disabilities.
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It’s her passion for learning and working with young people that motivates Ms Foster to come to work every day.
“I love the privilege of mentoring others … I was born to teach,” she said.
Ms Foster was 19-years old when she first set foot in the classroom as a fresh out of college teacher.
She has since taught at schools 2000km apart, spanning from outback Queensland to Melbourne’s northern and eastern suburbs.
“As a lover of music, I like to think of my job the way a conductor would bring out the best in an orchestra of talented musicians,” she said.
Follow our Australia’s Best Teachers advocacy series, in partnership with Officeworks, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, Education Perfect and Big Ass Fans, at this link.
Some of Ms Foster’s fondest memories include student graduations, teaching a young female refugee from El Salvador and teaching a mother who has never been to high school how to read.
While most fear the challenges that come with their job, Ms Foster thrives off them.
“Overcoming challenges are a reality for me at every level of education and I have come to love the challenges I still face,” she said.
“I am proud of taking on the jobs that no one else wanted to do. Some of my best learning and growth came from these opportunities.”
Recently retired educator Margaret Love, 82, also shared Ms Foster’s passion to help others.
“I became aware from quite a young age there were children who struggled to learn,” she said.
“I felt sure, had I been given a chance, that I could have taught those struggling learners (and) midway through primary school, I decided I wanted to teach.”
Ms Love taught in the state’s west for more than 60 years before recently calling it time on her astounding career.
“The more I taught, the more I wanted to teach. I was passionate about giving each child the best possible teaching every minute of every day,” she said.
Both Ms Foster and Ms Love have shared their stories in hope of motivating a new generation of eager educators to join the teaching profession.
“The rewards are enormous at every level and the opportunities are endless,” Ms Foster said.
“Teaching is more than delivering a subject, it resonates with the human values that build the communities we wish to create.”
As for Ms Love’s advice for teachers who might be finding the industry tough: “focus on each and every child and what you can do for them each day”.
“Never underestimate the trust and belief a child will have in you,” she said.
“Believe in your ability to make a difference in the learning life of each child in your care.”
For more inspirational education stories, the Herald Sun’s third annual Australia’s Best Teachers series will launch on May 19, celebrating some of the nation’s most innovative and inspiring teachers while showcasing the profound impact they have on young Australians.
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Originally published as Meet one of Victoria’s longest serving teachers, and how she aims to inspire future educators
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