Members Stories

A Working Mother

It would be more than thirty years ago, I think, when the School for the Deaf had an overflow of pupils who were taught at a school on Mt. Wellington hill. Most were boarders. I was friendly with the Headmaster and his wife, who was the Matron. Out of the blue they asked me to go and teach there as they were desperate. Teachers were just not available. We lived at Glendowie then and I was jist a relieving Infant Teacher, not trained for that work. I said I doubted that the Education Department would let me do it. They said that they already had permission.. Not really wanting to go, I asked what good would I be? And was told just the fact that you area a mother. I still remember how patient those children were with me. I couldn’ty communicate with them, but they spoke to one another by sign language. No one had time to help me or show me how, but eventually common sense and teaching skills saw me through. I stayed there two terms and really learned what compassion meant. The children were so full of life and aware of everything around them.

To complicate things, my brother brought his two year old to our house as his wife had to go to hospital – another baby due. So I took little Paul with me. He loved the children and they loved him. They thought that I was his mother – I could be so lucky - our two sons were adult by then. So it was a very busy time wiytth plenty of challenges and I surely learned a lot and was grateful for the experience.

Dorothy Norton