End of an Era | Farewell Pam Carden

CASSIE TWEMLOW

Pam Carden (nee Ford), Head of Primary Years since 2015, is also a St Peters Old Scholar. Spending her formative years as a student on campus in the 1970’s, only to return 30 years later as staff, Pam says a lot has changed except for the feeling of community and culture.

“When I attended as a student it was a relatively small school in comparison to what it is now,” says Pam.

At St Peters’ core then, as it is now, was its value in diversity and treating everyone with respect.

“There were students from all different backgrounds. Teachers were there to support and [they] treated us all as individuals.”

In 1974, Pam was also in the Year 10 Ironbark pilot group. Only one group of 28 students was permitted to participate in the outdoor education experience and, because of the Brisbane floods which had occurred earlier in the year, the supply of materials was short. When she arrived, a lot of Ironbark wasn’t finished, including there being no windows or heating in any of the dorms.

“If we wanted a hot shower or to cook, we had to boil the water over an open fire first,” she explains.

After studying at St Peters from Years 8-12 (1972-1976), Pam went to university and pursued Social Work. “It turns out, it wasn’t the course for me,” she shares.

After a couple of years, she decided to enrol in Teaching and was fortunate enough to love it and be offered a job before she graduated. Since then, and to aid her rise through the ranks, Pam has also embraced continued learning, gaining further qualifications in Special Education, Theology and Leadership.

In 2010, a position at St Peters became available and Pam applied.

“I really did not think about returning to the College as an adult or in my profession until a position came up that I couldn’t resist applying for.”

She was offered the position of Curriculum Coordinator (Prep – Year 9) and has been back at St Peters ever since!

Pam reflects of her career that it’s not all about what you gain on paper.

“Through each role I’ve learnt that there is no right way and no ‘one size fits all’ approach.”

She highlights the importance of the soft skills required for a teacher, stating that, “positivity, patience and the ability to really listen to others rather than pre-empting what they are saying and thinking” are vital to succeed.

A ‘big picture’ thinker, Pam was determined not to be blinkered by just teaching in the classroom; she wanted to know all about how schools operate and, over the course of her career, has worked in a wide variety of both State and Independent Schools (big and small, Primary and Secondary) to find out.

“Being able to think critically and creatively and being persistent are also really important,” Pam stresses.

The most rewarding experiences Pam has had over her career have been that of building relationships.

“Working with young children is never boring—you can be tearing your hair out one minute and then be crying tears of joy the next,” she says.

Pam also expresses the longevity of relationships she’s had with peers, coworkers and parents over the years.

“I’ve really valued the special relationships I’ve maintained with families and staff around me, even since starting my teaching career.”

After 40 years in the education sector, Pam is retiring at the end of this Term to spend more time with her family and, hopefully, travel again.

“I have recently become a grandmother, so I hope to spend time with family as it’s very important to me,” Pam says, glassyeyed. She goes on to say she hopes that one day soon she can travel again with her husband and, “I would like to continue to be involved in education or volunteering in some capacity.”

Congratulations on your retirement, Pam. We wish you and your family all the best for the future.

Pictured: (clockwise from opposite page) Mrs Pam Carden as we know her, 2017; Pam at Ironbark (1974); Scan the code to watch the entire interview; Form Class photo 1975; on her last day of school. Pam had taken her collar off her uniform to get it signed.