As a young girl at St Ann’s, Ann Marie (Dalton) Moloney just loved school. That love of school developed into a 42-year teaching career and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Recently retired from Emmanuel, Ann Marie was one of the first female teachers at one of Emmanuel’s predecessor schools, CBC where she joined Dot Read and Judy McKenzie.
Ann Marie was no stranger to CBC when she began there in 1979 (after a few years at St Mary’s in Donald), as she had taken four subjects there in her senior years of school. “I always thought I wanted to be a Primary Teacher,” said Ann Marie, “I got an offer after finishing school in accounting and secondary teaching at Aquinas. I considered accounting, but chose teaching – with no regrets!”
I love catching up with my past students and hearing about what they have been doing. That’s one of the highlights - seeing your students achieve. The generosity of the students is that they want to share that with you.
As a St Ann’s student Ann Marie loved Maths and Science and was a Netball player who would have a go at athletics on school sports days along with serving as a Year 12 Prefect. Ann Marie says the Sisters definitely had an influence on her and Terri McKeever (now Terri Walsh) who taught her in Year 7 was an influential teacher with whom she later worked at CBC. “As a colleague, she was a great role model in how to look after young people,” says Ann Marie. “When I started at CBC I thought it was great. The school had a ‘what you see is what you get’ attitude that suited my personality straight down the line. The Brothers were also really supportive.”
“I started as a year 7 Class Teacher, teaching English, Maths, Science and History. Then the students would go to specialist teachers for art and sport. I gradually moved through other parts of the school, adding qualifications and spent a fair bit of time working with Year 10 and 11 students. When my son was born in 1987 I came back full time - I didn’t really take any maternity leave.”
Ann Marie took on a number of leadership roles including three executive roles, and at various times served as: Year 10 Coordinator, Year 11 Coordinator, History Coordinator, Curriculum Coordinator, Teaching and Learning Leader, RE Coordinator for 8-10 and Head of Science – a role she particularly loved.
Over the years Ann Marie experienced changes in the curriculum and in technology and many changes were implemented to enhance student outcomes but the most significant change for her was the amalgamation of CBC and St Ann’s to form Emmanuel College in 1991. “There was a natural resistance from alumni, but this was purely from loyalty to their alma mater. For those of us who were teaching the senior students, we were already teaching co-ed, so that wasn’t very different. There had also been a lot of cooperative work between the schools, so the staff members already knew each other quite well.”
According to Ann Marie the key to being a successful teacher is, “appreciating the importance of respectful relationships. Its relationship building, connecting with people and ensuring students know that their individual progress is important to you. I love catching up with my past students and hearing about what they have been doing. That’s one of the highlights - seeing your students achieve. The generosity of the students is that they want to share that with you.”
In retirement Ann Marie says she is enjoying more family time and describes herself as a bit of a homebody although she is looking forward to more travel once her husband retires. She adds, “After 42 years it’s really nice not to be in a rush. I’ve had a really lovely career, I’ve been really lucky and the best part has been the students.
