“I’ve Thoroughly Enjoyed My Teaching Career”
A long-serving teacher is retiring after devoting more than 40 years of her career to Warwick Academy.
Anne Coakley arrived in Bermuda in September 1979 and spent two years teaching at St George’s Secondary, then Clearwater Middle School, before moving to Warwick Academy.
The 70-year-old taught several subjects, including food nutrition, needlework, religion, art and design technology and served as deputy head and head of secondary.
After four memorable decades at the Middle Road school, Mrs Coakley said it was time to return to the United Kingdom and spend time with her family.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my teaching career here and life in Bermuda,” Mrs Coakley told Bernews. “It’s been a win-win.
“It’s been an enjoyable career, and it’s ending at a time when the school is probably the best it’s ever been – great staff and great students. I’ll miss the school greatly.”
Mrs Coakley had a sister who worked on the island as a nurse and first visited Bermuda to attend her wedding. Later on, she spotted an advertisement for a teaching job on the island in an English newspaper when she returned home.
“I don’t think I ever set out to be a teacher,” said Mrs Coakley, who trained as a teacher in the UK. “People told me I was good at telling people what to do, so maybe it was a natural progression!”
She has fond memories of her time at Warwick, which she describes as a “special place to work” and will especially miss graduation day when she particularly celebrated those students who had overcome challenging times.
“I was in pastoral care for several years and saw children’s journeys that weren’t always easy,” said Mrs Coakley, who originally planned to retire before the Covid-19 pandemic and has worked part-time for the past two years.
“There are some children you celebrate more when they make it to the end and go off to the next stage of their life. You see them happy and successful even though they have experienced a few bumps along the way. I’ll miss that the most.”
Mrs Coakley, who was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, hopes to say goodbye to colleagues and former students at the Alumni Cocktail party on Friday, which starts 5.30 pm at the Old Quad.
“I’ve been told to make sure I’m there on time!” said Mrs Coakley, who is moving to Salisbury in Wiltshire. “It’s always lovely to see past students.
“I’ll be a regular visitor to the island. I’ve already booked my ticket back in November for a craft fair I always do with one of the other teachers.”
Thank you for your dedication to educating kids in Bermuda.
Thank you for your guidance wisdom understanding and knowledge we were just listing your name as former teacher two days ago. All the best in retirement you have earned it.