Michele McClure
Orangefield Primary School
www.orangefieldprimary.co.uk
Age: 46.
Your place of birth: Belfast.
Where You Live: Belfast.
First Job: Packing ice-cream in Dale Farm Ice-cream Factory.
What it taught me: Team work and it developed my social skills.
Family/status: Separated.
Best advice anyone ever gave you: Believe in yourself.
Best advice you could give someone thinking of a teaching career: Watch, listen and learn. Be dedicated, be passionate and be energetic.
Michele attended Grosvenor Grammar School and then Stranmillis College. She was very fortunate to get a full-time job in Orangefield Primary and 22 years on is still there and loving it. At present, she teaches a primary two class. “I get immense satisfaction and pleasure from having the opportunity to encourage all children to achieve their potential both socially and academically,” says Michele.
“I have a very full and varied day within Orangefield. I am heavily involved in many aspects of school life from choreographing and directing nativity productions to co-ordinating the subject areas of RE and PDMU, founding a school council and to the more serious role of Deputy Child Protection Officer.”
Michele takes an active role within the school PTA, encouraging parental involvement and raising much needed funds for resources. “If you need a Monster Ball ticket or a ticket to see Santa or just a Freddo Bar, I’m here,” she adds. “I organise all staff social evenings for staff morale as, after all, a happy staff makes a happy school. After all that, I am a gymaholic and have recently taken up golf lessons.” (Watch out Rory!)
