"TERESITA is exactly the kind of teacher you hope your children will have," says Mike Field, principal of St. Edmund's elementary in North Vancouver.
After 39 years of teaching the Grade 3 class at St. Edmund's, Teresita Landingin is retiring.
Born in 1949 in the Bicol region of the Philippines and raised in Manila with six siblings, Teresita always intended to be a teacher. Perhaps it was the influence of the teachers and professors in her extended family. Or, as Teresita says, "Teaching is a calling and I answered the call."
She started early, beginning with a small blackboard, a box of chalk and Teresita's playmates, including her younger sister, as students. Teresita believes these early lessons may have inspired her sister to become a teacher, too.
Teresita had been teaching for a couple of years when her family decided to move to Canada. An older brother had discovered Vancouver while on vacation and encouraged the family to join him in "this beautiful, clean, friendly city," recalls Teresita. Sadly, the family lost a son during the political strife in the Philippines just before they departed.
The family arrived in Vancouver in May 1973. Teresita joined St. Edmund's the following September, assigned to the Grade 3 class. She taught grades 2 and 6 in the Philippines but in Canada, it was one school and one grade during her entire career. Teresita calculates that, including her students in the Philippines, she has taught close to 1,600 children.
One of those students was eight-year-old Theresa Gemino, now Theresa Kirton. "We knew we were getting a new teacher," recalls Kirton. "When Miss Lacuna, as she was then, came into our class, I thought, 'How neat! They got a Grade 7 student to teach us.' She looked so young and she still does."
Kirton continues, "I came from a family of eight kids and there were at least six or seven others in the class with multiple siblings," she says.
To every student and every class, year upon year, Teresita brought enthusiasm and empathy, always willing to try new ways to help her students learn.
Teresita's teaching style fit well at St. Edmund's. The oldest Catholic school on the North Shore, its small size ensures each student is integral to the school. At the end of the school year, everyone receives a certificate that recognizes individual gifts and each class receives sportsmanship and citizenship awards.
"Teresita has the knack of making children feel they are worth something. Every child that passed through her class was touched by Teresita in some positive way," says school administrator Alexis DeFreitas.
For Teresita, it will be as difficult to leave St. Edmund's as it is for the school to let her go. "I thought the reception the school put on would be low key," says Teresita. "It turned out to be very high key, with speeches from colleagues, former principals, teachers, students. They showed me that I made an impact to lots of people. It brought tears. It was never just a job for me. I was doing what came naturally."
This year is a time of milestones for Teresita. On Friday, her final official day as a teacher, she celebrated 33 years of marriage with her husband, Noel. Their second grandchild is expected in September, close to Teresita's own birthday.
"I planned to teach another year. I still have the energy for it," says Teresita. "But, with one new grandchild in the family and another coming, I want to help with them. So, this is it. It's the right time."
Former student Kirton, who spoke at the reception, was once more at the right time and place with her teacher. "As I walked past Teresita, I heard her call, 'Oh, Theresa.' She remembered me from all those years ago, from her very first class - and I have changed since I was eight years old."
It's a gift.
Laura Anderson works with and for seniors on the North Shore. Contact her at 778-2792275 or email her at lander1@ shaw.ca.
