IT’S hard to believe Nancy Outtram started teaching in 1970.

Last week when Member for Western Victoria Jacinta Ermacora visited Portland Secondary College (PSC) Mrs Outtram was busy doing what she had done for more than 50 years – always going to extra lengths to help students.

Ms Ermacora popped into the school on Tuesday last week and presented Mrs Outtram was a certificate and personalised mug with her name and ‘50 years’ on it.

Mrs Outtram has taught many Portland residents over her years in education and even retired from teaching at one stage, but her love for the education of young people brought her back.

“I started teaching in 1970, so it's actually 53 years, but I had two children, which I had 12 months leave with both,” she said.

Apart from her teaching Mrs Outtram is a regular sight in Portland walking to keep fit. Though she has cut her teaching work load.

“It’s three days a week and I love it, but I also get up and walk early every morning, so I get a bit tired now,” she said.

“I walk about 15 kilometres a day.”

On her days off she will go walking, have lunch with her husband or garden.

“But that’s the biggest problem, if I wasn’t working, how would I fill my days in? I can’t walk more than what I already am.”

Mrs Outtram has seen many changes in education over the years, and in the curriculum, but has been consistently successful at assisting students.

She decided to retire from teaching at Portland Secondary College when she was 65 years old, but that only lasted five weeks before she returned to fill a role as acting assistant principal.

“It is the focus of coming and feeling like I'm doing something to help people,” she said.

“I never wake up, honestly, and think I don't want to go to work today.

“Today, there was a boy sitting in the exam and I knew he'd just been recently assessed as being quite low, and the exam was way too hard.

“So, I went over to a teacher and said, ‘do you mind coming over to this student and reading the exam to him, because he's really struggling’.”

“Otherwise, he would have sat there, and felt he couldn't do it.

Currently Mrs Outtram works in a position with the school’s Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support sector.

She works with all Year 10 teachers in their classroom and makes sure the work given is suitable for the students and whether it needs adjustment according to the student.

Mrs Outtram said next year will be her last year working at the school, but she plans to make the most of every day.

“I love learning new things every day and that's what I say to students.

“You can always learn something new, whether that’s just spelling a word.

“I've loved every minute of teaching.”