Long serving teacher in Cranbrook retires after generations of eduation

Cranbrook’s longest-serving teacher Gail Wornum is retiring after more than four decades of education.

Generations of families in Cranbrook have been taught by Mrs Wornum during a career spanning 42 years — 32 of them at Cranbrook Primary School.

Mrs Wornum said she had seen a lot change over the years, including the primary school’s numbers dwindling from 120 students to 56.

“Photocopiers were unheard of. We had to use what was known as an ink Gestetner and then a spirit duplicator,” she said. “The way children are taught has also changed. We used to stand at the front with the blackboard, but now the focus is guided learning and discovery, and the students learn better from this approach.”

She said she had loved every minute of her dream career.

“The highlight of every day I came to school was when someone came up to me with a big smile and said ‘Good morning, Mrs Wornum’, or when I was teaching a concept and a big smile came on their face as if to say, ‘I’ve got it’,” she said.

“Thank you again to everyone who I have come across in my career.”