Older and wiser New Zealand’s 91-year-old teacher tackles texting
Students’ ability to speak well a major pointer to chances of success, 91-yearold Gussie Johnson tells Jamie Searle.
Gussie Johnson has been helping students get the gift of the gab for more than half a century, and says standards of speech are declining at a worrying rate.
At 91, Johnson is New Zealand’s oldest registered teacher and works part-time at Southland Boys’ High School teaching drama, Shakespeare, performing arts and debating.
Known as Gussie to her students, she said her motivation to continue working was partly to keep herself busy, but also to try to halt declining standards of speech among young people.
‘‘I’ve never thought of giving up working... you’ve got to keep yourself going or you fizzle out.’’
Johnson firmly believed the ability to speak well and communicate clearly was an asset to people becoming successful in life. But she said she has noticed more people are slurring their speech, have a smaller vocabulary and limited articulation – or in her words, ‘‘it’s gabble’’.
And she can pinpoint the decline in standards to the dawn of the text messaging era.
‘‘Words are wonderful things. Once you’ve said them you can’t unsay them, so you’ve got to be careful what you say... and people aren’t, unfortunately. How you speak makes a difference.’’
She also believed there were a lot of bright children in New Zealand schools who were just drifting through because they were not pushed enough. She thought Year 13 students, in particular, could be given more responsibility and leadership roles at secondary schools. ‘‘You can push the bright kids, they can cope.’’
And over the decades, one thing she said she’s observed was that there was not enough leaders in communities that can present themselves well.
Noreen Melvin, who alongside Johnson at taught James
Hargest College for 11 years and again at Southland Girls’ High School for five years, said her colleague was inspirational. ‘‘ She does not just teach speech and drama, she inspires you to be and to do more than you could imagine,’’ Melvin said.
Johnson’s presence was a performance, she said.
Her natural use of language, sense of timing, dramatic pause and voice are part of her every day repertoire in the classroom – not just reserved for the stage, Melvin said.
‘‘She has given her students the confidence and ability to speak and perform in public with a special way of getting the best out of everyone she teaches.’’
In 2019, Boys’ High staff had a morning tea for Johnson’s 90th birthday, where she received a congratulatory card from the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand. It included confirmation she was the oldest practising teacher in the country.
Boys’ High rector Simon Coe said the school was extremely proud and lucky to have Gussie on the staff.
‘‘She has for a long time been committed to the acceleration of our young men in the fields of speech, debating, drama and communication. These are areas that develop confidence for our boys and stand them in good stead for the future.’’
Council spokesperson Allison Hess said the organisation valued the contribution Johnson had made to education.
‘‘Older teachers have so much to offer and are invaluable to schools and centres, especially for taking specialised groups of children, subjects or relief work,’’ Hess said.
According to Teaching Council data, 1161 of the country’s 107,765 registered teachers are aged from 75 years and older.
Between 65 years to 74, there are 11,412. While there are 20,551 teachers that sit within the 55 to 64 years bracket.
Johnson played down the fact she’s the country’s oldest practising teacher. She preferred to talk about other aspects of life in education and work with the Invercargill Repertory Society theatre group, of which she is a life member.
‘‘ I’ve put [Southland Boys’ High School] boys in the Theatre Federation’s Theatre Festival... and we won the New Zealand title twice.’’
Johnson’s achievements in theatre acting and directing earned her a place in the federation’s book of fame. She is also a fellow of Trinity College.
Johnson is well- respected at Southland Boys’ High, as evidenced by her memories of students helping her navigate a school path covered in leaves and puddles.
Her vision in one eye is not 100 per cent so she said to one student ‘‘can you stand still, I’m going to lean on your shoulder to get out of here’’.
She recalled the next time she walked up to the same path, the student rushed up behind her and asked ‘‘do you want to lean on me, Gussie?’’
She said yes and another student also helped her out. ‘‘They were lovely wee boys.’’ Teaching in her spare time has helped to fill a void since her husband Graham died 35 years ago and, outside school hours, she tutors 10 students – a far cry from the 40 she taught six or seven years ago when in her 80s.
And she has no plans to call it a day, saying she wants to continue contributing to the lives of students well into the future.
‘‘I’ve never thought of giving up working... you’ve got to keep yourself going or you fizzle out.’’ Gussie Johnson