Thousands of students have filtered through Mr. Rodney Everitt’s maths lessons over the 26 years he has spent at Mueller. His teaching career has been so expansive that some of his early students now have their teenage children sitting in his classes! But a change of season is afoot and Mr Everitt is saying goodbye to full-time teaching and hello to retirement at the end of 2022.
We asked Mr Everitt to share some highlights and insights from his time at Mueller, and have found a few photos from his early days on campus. Congratulations on a wonderful career and we pray the next season is just as fruitful (if not a bit more restful!) as this one.
What brought you to Mueller?
I was teaching with Geoff Miller at Clontarf Beach State High School and after 6 years there they decided to give me moving orders and send me and my young family to Moranbah, a mining town west of Mackay. I tried to get the decision overturned but all to no avail. I proceeded to look for another job outside the state system and that was when Geoff said there may be a position for me at this fledgling school, he and his church community had helped get off and running called Mueller College. At that stage the first group of Year 12’s had just graduated. I got the job after an interview replacing Ninan Jacob as Head of Maths and Science. Ninan moved to Deputy Principal.
What year did you start at Mueller and what do you remember about that time?
I started at Mueller College at the beginning of 1996. We were quite a small school then and rather low in funds. We all had reduced wages to help the school function better because there were continual financial demands. God provided many things for us in ways that were quite remarkable. The Administration knew more about those matters and shared them with us from time to time. We only had two Heads of Department and a fairly small staff. We had no MPAC, no LSC, no car park, no functioning oval, no D block quadrangle, no S, K, H, L, C or G blocks and the list could go on.
We used to meet for prayer every Friday morning before school and others had already been there earlier to pray.
What would you note as the biggest changes over your time here?
The biggest change has been in the resourcing of the school and the opportunities the students have now to ‘grow and thrive’. They have every material blessing here and a great culture to go with it. Certainly, technology has changed how students learn too but I am yet to be convinced it is better. There is no doubt information is easier to access but in my humble opinion, in many ways technology has not improved students’ ability to think and concentrate on a particular task.
What stands out as a highlight of your time here?
The highlights have been teaching with like-minded teachers who are Christians and also seeing the hard-working students get their just reward. Also, to see students return as staff and strengthen that culture of family at the college.
What will you miss about teaching?
I will miss the challenge of teaching. It develops me as a person, but it also challenges me to do the best I can in any lesson as I try to educate the students.
What are you looking forward to in retirement?
I have a few projects around the house yet to finish and some my wife has not even thought of at the moment. But I would also like to do more travel both overseas and in Australia. I do plan to do some relief teaching from time to time as well, just to keep my hand in.
