Farewell to Mrs Eileen Lane

All teachers hope to make a difference. To impart wisdom or knowledge, to witness the flowering of talent and to perhaps assist in its development in some way, or to guide a young person through difficult times in his adolescence are all noble and fulfilling pursuits that make a life in education so rewarding. This year marks the final year of Eileen Lane’s distinguished service to Trinity College, and although I cannot speak of her feelings, it is my hope that she is concluding her tenure with a highly deserved sense of a job well done.

I consider myself very fortunate to have worked alongside Eileen in the English Department for the past nine years. In this time I have come to value enormously her experience, her patience, her expertise and her humour, but above all else, her enduring friendship.

Primarily teaching English to students requiring extra assistance, Eileen has consistently exemplified the heights of best practice in boys’ education. The extent to which Eileen managed to coax responses out of the most reluctant of writers has never ceased to amaze her colleagues. Indeed, boys who sometimes struggle to remain on task find staying focused the path of least resistance in her lessons. to their experiences in her class have indicated a fondness for the practical and compassionate advice that is shared in these lessons.

A career of any length in education will inevitably require the navigation of changes in pedagogy and syllabus. In spite of considerable upheaval in English in recent years, Eileen simply got on with the business of teaching, when many in the latter portion of their careers sought either alternative employment or early retirement. Her ability to adjust to changes in text types, marking schemes and exam formats is a credit to her professionalism.

As well as being a very fine teacher of English, Eileen has spent considerable time as a teacher of Religious Education. Teaching Religious Education to senior students is not the easiest of tasks, however Eileen approached these lessons with the same indefatigable unflappability that has characterised all her teaching. Many passing conversations with students with regards That Eileen managed to be such a professional and capable classroom teacher whilst juggling the considerable responsibilities of being Head of Year 12 is nothing short of remarkable. The Head of Year 12 position is one of the most onerous and important roles within the College, requiring as it does a firm yet compassionate hand to guide students – and parents – through the final year of Secondary Schooling. Countless boys who have experienced trials and tribulations at this intersecting point between adolescence and adulthood have drawn great strength and support from Eileen’s wisdom, integrity and maternal presence. In this sense, she has provided a model of Christian leadership that in my opinion should act as a beacon to those who hope to fill her shoes in the coming years. Tony Curtis reminisces about past years at Trinity

It would be remiss not to mention the incredible work Eileen has done in organising the Prefects’ Ball over the past decade. Never has the transformation that occurs in Gibney Hall expressly for this event failed to dazzle and delight. The entirety of Eileen’s Term 2 holidays would be given over to the organisation of these unforgettable events, a sacrifice that would come with little fuss or fanfare.

On a more personal note, Eileen has managed to bring a levity and level-headedness to the English Department over many years. Many staff have come and gone over the years, however Eileen has remained as a constant presence, and it is her personality and professionalism that has shaped the spirit of the Department – and the College at large – as much as any individual. Eileen has brought a sense of dedication, a spirit of enthusiasm, and a genuine sense that engaging with students and with colleagues can be a worthwhile pursuit and a sincere pleasure.

The English Department, the College at large and the Junior School Courtyard in particular will not be the same without her. (Admittedly, the English Office will probably be tidier.) But as an educational institution, we ought to know as well as any that a lesson learned should be a lesson lived; and it is in the College’s hands to exemplify her legacy, and to remember to pursue the very best of what education can be.

The dynamic trio, Janine Wyatt, Eileen Lane and Gordon Dean

English was never a strong subject of mine; what I thought in my mind and wanted to say in written form was usually quite different to what came out of the end of my pen. When I graduated from Trinity College in Year 12 it was mandatory to pass English to gain entry to university.

I have two people to thank for my pass in TAE English; Br Neil Wilson, my Year 12 English teacher, and a special thanks to Mrs Eileen Lane for the help, patience and dedication that she gave me and countless other boys in the Trinity College Junior School remediation program.

Knowing Eileen, both when I was a student and in later years as a colleague, she has certainly enriched me and many others not only in English, but as a person. In all the years that I have known her she has never changed; her patience, integrity, right judgment, wisdom and of course sense of humour. Eileen has given much to her students at Trinity College; at Old Boys’ reunions and in discussions with current students Eileen’s name is always mentioned with special warmth. I hope that she enjoys the beginning of a new chapter in her life; from your old students... Good luck and keep safe.

I was always fond of Mrs Lane’s Welsh accent, below are a few of my favourites and the translations.

Eileen with Peter and Laurie Negus

Eileen with Tony Maxfield and Doug Simpson at her farewell function

Mrs Lane Australian translation

Phort-e-graph Photograph Co-eld Cold

How is one? How are you? Hell o Hello

Michael Slack-Smith with Eileen at her farewell function