A TRIBUTE TO THOSE OF A NOBLE PROFESSION – By Grace Waide

To all the teachers in my life, you are all so blessed. For all the sleepless nights programming, marking test papers, assessments, waking early to get to class, walking long miles to get into towns at fortnight times, dealing with many different children, parents,all in the name of educating our children.  I salute you all. Exams have come and gone children will come and go, but there is nothing like the heart of a teacher…I am so blessed to have you all. I am the daughter of a teacher…so why am I saying all these.? I offered a ride in the canoe and later by car to a young teacher and his family trying to get into town yesterday…and as we traveled together, I was very quiet, which isn’t typical for me, my mind flashed back to all those very remote schools in the Eastern Highlands that my late father taught at,in my mind’s eye I could see daddy, bent over with all the shopping and our bags, walking up and down mountains, and my mom , my siblings all carrying something and shivering through the mist and cold..such an image is etched in my mind forever. So when we finally reached Kiunga and the teacher wanted to thank me and give me some money, I refused and simply said…I am the daughter of a teacher.