Donald Turner was ninety recently. He works as a supply teacher for local primary schools...and has no intention of retiring.
 Donald Turner |
For most of his life, Donald Turner was a chemist working in industry. But when he retired aged 65, he didn't want to stop working. So he became a supply teacher.
He gets up every morning as if he's going to work and sometimes he gets a telephone call asking him to go to one of the local schools. Winter is his peak time because the amount of sickness amongst teachers is at its height.
He had no problem getting on the books of an agency, although some did turn him down. Donald presumes that this was because of his age.
Colin Whitehead is the head teacher for one of schools where Donald works. The agency didn't tell Colin about Donald's age. When he first met him, he says, "I have to confess, I didn't think he was the teacher" .
Colin's first impression was that Donald seemed a little frail, but the children seemed to be having a good time. The teaching assistant working with Donald told Colin Whitehead that Donald was "simply amazing".
But Donald has caused some consternation in the playground. Colin says, "there were a large number of children grouped around Donald who was carrying out a scientific experiment with a couple of the year 6 boys." He was demonstrating centrifugal force with some string and tin cans!
The children clearly think Donald's lessons are fun, but they have no idea how old he is. When asked they say, "forty-something". But at one secondary school, he did have a few problems with some of the boys. They started to call him 'granddad'. However, when they found out he could beat their PE teacher at table tennis and swim a whole length under water, they stopped pretty sharpish.
Donald has noticed a marked difference between the pupils he teaches nowadays and when he was at school. "When I was a boy, it was usual for a class to work in absolute silence, but you don't get it now".
There should be plenty more work for Donald because, as Colin says, "He's a great ambassador for people of any age, but particularly for people who are retired".
