On a Saturday morning, Lismore Square is a hive of activity I go and meet Chris Flood, a teacher, at the Coffee Club. We talk about her life before teaching and her love of teaching and education. Chris has been a Trinity institution for over 40 years. In fact, she started teaching classes in 1969, whilst still a student! Makes sense then that she was Dux of her year. Math teacher, RE teacher, Campus Coordinator, Year Coordinator, General Coordinator, Head of House, and school mum for thousands.

“Chris has made a lasting impact on everyone she has taught. Both of us have been touched by Chris’s magic, and indeed I have no doubt she is one of the reasons that we both went into teaching. Chris can name all the Principals and names of students she taught 30 years ago.” Damien Gill

I was born in Lismore. My grandfather James Cole was a boxer who fought under the name Jimmy Ring, and when he moved to Lismore in the early 1900’s he became involved with the managing of Group 1 Rugby League. He fought to have league be allowed to play on a Sunday (which at that time was not allowed). He opened Coles Garage in Woodlark Street in Lismore in 1914. 

My father took over the Garage on his death in 1957. Before this, Dad was a member of Evans Head Surf Club and a keen and talented footballer playing ‘A Grade’ at 14. Dad was one of the founding members of Marist Brothers Junior Rugby League and President for many years.

He became worried about the trouble the boys were getting into in summer and thought they needed something to do to keep them occupied. So, he and a few others started Lennox Head Surf Club in the early 70s. Dad was President for over 20 years until he developed pancreatic cancer. He asked me to draw the first emblem/logo-the original whale that the club used. 

One of Dad’s sisters was a Presentation Sister, Sr June Cole - an excellent teacher and Principal of St Carthages for many years. There were so many of the family teaching and involved in schools that my grandmother always complained at family gatherings that all the talk was ever about was school. I come from a background where caring for Young People was always paramount. 

(Sr June Cole in the habits the nuns had to wear until 1969)

When I was 13 my younger brother, who was an amazing and caring person, died at the age of 8. I was very close to him and vowed that I would love for both of us and make a difference in the world for both of us. Many of his classmates when they turned 21 years old wrote letters to mum and dad telling them what an influence Peter had on their lives. 

I went to St Mary‘s and finished in 1970.

(The St Marys class of 1970)

In the beginning of the Wyndham Scheme in education - the nuns and brothers started to come together because they didn’t have science and so they created the senior school which currently is the kindergarten section of Trinity. Boys and girls at that time were separated. We walked back to Saint Mary’s past the boys on the stairs. The boys had to go up and down on the railside of the stairway and the girls had to go up and down on the wall side. It was arranged in this way so the boys couldn’t look up the girls’ dresses.

The brothers started teaching the girls at St Mary’s and the nuns the boys at Marist Brothers. Can you imagine the fun we had with them trying to adjust to the brothers’ teaching girls and the nuns teaching boys, it was very interesting and a huge adjustment.

I think I might have been the second year to go through the senior school there in 1969 when this change occurred. There was only one brother that could teach Latin, so we used to swap around every lesson. The boys would walk over to St Mary's site and the girls would hang out the windows. The next lesson, the girls would go over to St Joseph's site and the boys were hanging over the railing of the white building, and the boys would carry their combs in their ties and comb their hair so as to make a good impression. It was such a novelty as we weren’t allowed to talk to the boys at all and if you did… you got into a lot of trouble.

(Christine in Year 9 at St Mary's)

I could remember being called out in second form because I rode to school with two of the boys who lived near me. In those days, we had a winter uniform with long skirts, black stockings, blazer, hat and gloves so we had to wear that as we rode our bikes. Can you imagine… the gloves were very slippery on the bike handles, especially in winter!

In those days women were still definitely viewed as not as capable as men in most aspects. The nuns brought us up to believe that not only were girls just as capable, but often more so. They insisted that we could do whatever the boys could do, and achieve at the same or higher levels - whether that be academically or sheer resilience and determination. We would not accept being treated as second-class citizens. They empowered the girls so much for the society at that time.

Mother Stanislaus Darcy, who began the school in Lismore, and her educational beliefs even in 1886. One of her favourite sayings to the girls was 'Hitch your wagons to a star!' She had an incredibly powerful and innovative view of education for her time. I must admit I was a prime candidate for that style of empowerment as I point blank refused to be told by anyone 'You can't do that" - 'No - watch me"' was always my first response.

(Prizegiving day Year 12 1970 Dux with the school captain)

For today's students, I must admit that I worry about the boys - many of whom do not want to risk taking up any challenges, whether it be academically or in student leadership. In general, the girls are firing in the current generations across all institutions but the boys have taken a huge backstep as a group. There are still individuals who will step up, but the reticence of the majority of boys to do so over the past 10 or so years is a real concern for me. I believe that across Australian education systems that boys' education needs to be further addressed.

After school, I then went to Sydney University and did a Bachelor of Science. After two years I went to teach up top at a Catholic school in the Northern Territory. I had medical issues up there and had to be evacuated.

(Christine's graduation from Sydney University with her mother Gloria Cole)

After six months, the catholic education office contacted me and asked me to take over as the head science teacher at St John’s Mullumbimby. I had just turned 20, the previous science teacher walked out and left the class stranded due to behaviour issues. He was 35 and a footballer and he walked out because he couldn’t control the kids. I went in as a 20-year-old woman, and luckily it worked out! I made the science rooms safe, located gas caps straight away because there had been previous fires in the lab!

At that school, I took the St John’s year sevens to the Coolangatta Zoo. They let the monkeys out! The chimpanzees were out of the cage and the bus driver tried to catch them – one of them bit him on the arm! I woke up the next morning to hear that the tiger had also escaped. Wow…. I only taught there for two years. The high school section closed not long after that and it only continued to operate as a primary school for quite a few years.

When I started teaching female teachers were not allowed to wear pants. I had to because of some skin and health issues. However, I’ve never been able to wear stockings and have had a lot of skin issues, especially in the tropics. I like to wear cotton pants. They permitted me to wear pantsuits however, the coat had to cover my hips. I was the first female teacher to wear pants in Australia.

I enrolled at The University of New England and then did another teaching stint.

Around this time, I was trying to become pregnant and due to health issues, this took some time for me to conceive and carry to full term. I started casual teaching while my kids were growing up at Saint Mary's. My oldest child was born in 1976, then 1981 and 1984.

To date, four generations of my family have attended Trinity College in Lismore. The current principal of Trinity (Jesse Smith) was on the student council from when he was in year eight, and I was his year coordinator and SRC general coordinator for a few years.

(Christine with her third child Matthew in 1999)

You’re really mentoring and looking after the students as a teacher. There are a few things that I’ve changed with the uniform and things like that, but the heart and spirit of the school hasn’t changed. When I speak of spirit I mean as a cohort in the assembly when they sing ‘Lighthouse’. The spirit contains so much of the school’s culture. The students have changed with the times and the use of computers and mobile phones has affected us all and changed society. So that changes that sort of culture in the playground for example. It is different, there’s so many of them on their phones, the language the kids use for someone who doesn’t tend to use that language is influenced by the songs they listen to. So that has changed…

The parent’s attitude to teachers can be very different. So many of them are so very sure that no matter what they say it’s right and it’s not always. Previously the parents supported the teachers more than what they often do now. I think the kids are more sophisticated, but I don’t think they are as mature. They are exposed to things a lot younger. Kids can sometimes be very entitled which never should be the case. They also don’t seem to have as much resilience as in the past. You have to compete when you apply for a job - and they can’t always handle that.

I think resilience can be a big issue in terms of decades. For context, look at what was there for mathematics (my main subject). When I went through, there were no calculators. When I was at university computers took up the whole floor! You had to punch holes in a card to get it to go if you wanted to see what it was not hidden figures.

I encourage my students to not always use the calculator icon those little black boxes…. they have forgotten. Work those brains …learn how to recall things - how to recognise patterns. I say to the kids that I teach in extension - you are going to go into medicine, and they have gone into medicine and engineering. I’ve had one student got to NASA, and one who lectures at Cambridge.

I said - if you’re not going to be at the cutting edge - who is? If you’re going to rely on what’s happened before you and what’s already on there - who’s going to develop something new? You are going to have to be able to operate above & beyond what’s already there, so you need to be able to use your brain. I talk to them a lot about the fact that if you don’t use your muscles they atrophy, and your brain is a muscle - if you don’t use those synapses they atrophy. Then you’re not going to be able to do what you need to be able to do. Use it. 

I speak to kids in this way as a maths teacher. If they don’t remember who you are they think they can try anything. So, if I’m teaching maths, I’ll be going through something and I’ll set up a question on the board - I’ll do the calculation in my head while they try to work it out. They are impressed - And you can do that too! I try and get them to do that.

I know a lot of people use a lot of games etc. and the computer. I tend to prefer using puzzles that don’t involve using the computer. Pure brain calculations to try and get that going again for them, because that’s what I’m finding they just can’t recall enough data. I just use all the old tricks, and the kids will say- tell us how you did it, so I’ll start to train them - and they start to learn how to do that for themselves which means they can start to push their inquiring brains a little bit further. Work those synapses.

I now live on the Sunshine Coast and stay with my family in Lismore when I come down to teach casually at Trinity. Some consider me a prankster. I learnt this from Dad who at 14 blew up the Rectors desk at Woodlawn and put a frog in his bed. Dad used to say - you may as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb (a relic from the convict days). I applied that to everything! Always give 110% whatever you do, never ever give up.

I always tell my classes that the word ‘can’t’ does not exist in my room or my life. If I am told I can’t do something, as the doctor told my parents, my usual reply is ‘Watch Me!’

My integrity and the welfare of those around me are the most important things to me. Whilst I am a prankster my rule is to never hurt anyone in any way or damage any property. And there have been some elaborate pranks over the years from when I was a student until now. 

My motto - with God and the determined mind, all things are possible!

Comments from Principal of Trinity Catholic College Jesse Smith

Christine is an exceptional teaching practitioner, particularly in the areas of Mathematics and Religious Education. As one of the College’s most experienced and competent teachers in these two fields, I can attest to the fact that Christine’s students have consistently exceeded state benchmarks. Her HSC results have consistently outshone others. This is due to Christine’s ability to inspire her students to not just know the subject but to love the process of learning it. She is a model to all of her colleagues by the way she fosters a positive, supportive and challenging learning environment for all of her students.

At a personal level, Christine is a woman of the highest virtues and ethics. Her faith and commitment to personal integrity set her apart. Christine has mentored many students beyond the classroom, as well as many graduate teachers. As a colleague, she is collegial, respectful, honest, nurturing and committed to life-long learning. She listens with her heart and responds professionally, practically and appropriately to the needs of those around her.

So, Chris, as you leave the gates of Trinity, we thank you. Thank you for making Trinity not just a school, but a family. Thank you for not seeing us just as students, but as your children and above all else, thank you for being a constant believer in all that is good in young people. God speed, and may your many years ahead be all that you deserve.