Teacher Carolyn's career journey from blackboards to iPads coming to an end

A long-serving Jedburgh teacher who has made the transition from blackboards to iPads is preparing to call time on her 37-year career.
Carolyn Denholm. (Photo: BILL McBURNIE)Carolyn Denholm. (Photo: BILL McBURNIE)
Carolyn Denholm. (Photo: BILL McBURNIE)

Carolyn Denholm, 60, the longest serving member of staff at Jedburgh Grammar Campus will enjoy her last day of teaching at the end of the school term on June 23.

Today her role is that of a principal teacher of pastoral but she started off teaching French and English.

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She has spent her entire teaching career at Jedburgh Grammar school and the last year has been among the most challenging and eventful due to both Covid-19 and the opening of the new campus.

It was never Carolyn’s intention to spend all her career at the school, it was something which just fell into place and she has no regrets.

She said: “I had planned to spend two years here and then go work in France or somewhere but it was a nice place and I just continued from there.

"When I came in I came into a quite traditional school with old buildings and for the last year of my teaching it has been in this lovely brand new school.

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"Today everybody has iPads, that’s a big change because when I started teaching we had blackboards and when we moved to whiteboards that was a big thing. Now we’ve moved full circle to make use of technology.

"The other difference in this new school is that we are all together, nursery, primary and secondary all in the same building so that is really nice.

"My pastoral role is never boring and often challenging. In our role we don’t have a lot of formal teaching, we are there for the pupils if they have problems, if they are struggling a wee bit. It’s our duty to get to know the whole young person, helping them make their subject choices, giving them advice to apply to university, helping them plan for the next stage in their life.

"It’s a privilege to be be able to work with young people. The pupils I have taught are now right the way up to their early fifties and having lived in the town I meet people all the time that I have taught and it’s really nice to hear how they have got on.”

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Carolyn, whose partner Bennie has just acquired a motorhome, now intends to spend more time travelling and meeting up with family and friends.

She added: “It will be good to get away, and not just during the school holidays and just basically have enough time to catch up with people.

"It’s been 37 years, a big part of my life and I’ve enjoyed working in this community, hence the reason I have spent all my teaching career here.

"I really will miss the pupils and the lovely colleagues I have worked with over the years.”