Greg Ferguson might be retiring this week after 33 years at Eden Marine High School, but his life as a teacher is far from over.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
‘The teacher that every student wants to have’ is a term often bandied about, but if that person has ever existed, there’s a good chance it’s this self-described “passionate” lover of the outdoors.
Greg says he has no fears heading into retirement, and with a list of interests as long as your arm, it’s easy to understand why.
But his dedication to the profession ensures that his students haven’t seen the last of him just yet.
“I decided a couple of years ago to finish up with this current Year 12 class, retire at the end of the third term and take long service leave up until next year,” he said.
“I’ve stuck to that plan, but I’ve got a Year 12 [English] Advanced class who are going through the HSC, and they’ll all be bringing essays around for me to have a look at and ringing me up.
“I’ve also got a Year 10 class that I’ve had for the last three years, and I’ve told them that if they ever need any help, they know where to find me.
“They all know where I live and they’ve got my number, so even though I’m retiring from the classroom, I’ll still be on the boil for a little while.
“I’m just passionate about everything I do – you can’t expect other people to be passionate about what you’re saying when you’re not.”
After so long in the job, you’d think retirement might come as a shock to the system, but Greg doesn’t plan on wasting any time enjoying the benefits.
“It’s a beautiful area here and you’ve got a real sense of community, which is something you don’t get in Sydney where I grew up,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to doing some more surfing and fishing, bike riding, gardening, playing soccer and that sort of stuff.
“I love the outdoors and if I wasn’t an English and history teacher, I would definitely have been a PE teacher.”
Bringing in a few of the school’s most popular initiatives has been a highlight of Greg’s time at Eden Marine High School.
In 1985, he started the surfing program that continues at the school to this day, and later taught the first ever drama classes.
“We did some great things like surfing the South Coast Pipe, going to state championships and regional championships,” he said.
“We’d have a day of competition surfing, but we’d surf all the way up the coast on the way there, and all the way back down.”
While 33 years might seem like a long time, Greg says he’s enjoyed every minute since arriving after starting his career with five years in north-west NSW.
He puts it down to the “great camaraderie” among all members of the school, which has always been a feature of the school throughout his time.
“Coming over the top of that hill at Merimbula and seeing this area for the first time; that was pretty special,” he said.
“When I arrived, I knew two of the teachers already, from my previous school at Coonamble.
“I stayed at their house for a while, drank some of their home brew,” he laughed.
“The camaraderie here has always been great, and I remember my son used to come into the staffroom when he was a student here and say, ‘Gee, you guys have a great time, you’re crazy’.
“That’s important; how else do you survive 33 years in the one place?”