Story of Teaching

Viola Hultin, vhult@shaw.ca

As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a teacher. My Mom could not fathom wanting to work with kids for a career and she wanted me to be a nurse. Oh horrors, I could not imagine dealing with sick people and the sight of blood, yuk!!! So I became a teacher and taught for several years in the "country little red school house” and then year by year moved up: a village school with two grades came next, then a town location and then the big city of Regina. Meeting Carl, we wandered off to the Yukon for a year and returned to Saskatchewan for a few years before we struck off to Thompson, MB. supposedly for two years like everyone else was doing. In Thompson, I was the first Teacher Librarian to be hired. Something happened as the two years became 38 years. I guess we enjoyed Thompson and just kept saying one more year and it ended up to be 38. We ended up retiring in Thompson and even then did not rush away.

I have not regretted becoming a Teacher and then a Teacher Librarian. I enjoyed the kids and found that every day brought something different, so never boring same old, same old. I could relate many funny instances from my years, but will leave you with one. When teaching in a grade three class in Regina, as I was up front facing the class I sneezed and the button flew off my skirt. Thinking no one saw that I just kept on as if nothing happened. Damn, if little sharpie in the front row did not see and he jumped out of his seat, ran and fetched my button and brought it to me saying, “Here is your button, Mrs. Hultin.” I really did not know if I should laugh or what. n