Together they have over 80 years worth of experience in a classroom but Wagga High School teachers Dave Gillard and Deborah Anscombe are ready for retirement.
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Mr Gillard, an agricultural science teacher, joined Wagga High 23 years ago. His career began in 1983 when he took a job in Finley.
"I remember the interview, there were three principals and I said I'd go anywhere in NSW," Mr Gillard said.
"[They offered me] Finley and I knew where it was, but not one of them knew."
Mr Gillard's original three-year plan turned into a decade in Finley before he transferred to Wagga.
"When I came to Wagga High the old wood buildings were still here. There were so many kids in such a small area, it was challenging," Mr Gillard said.
"They built the new buildings really quickly, we were in new rooms by April the next year."
Originally hoping to work with the accelerated students, Mr Gillard found he had a particular niche with students for whom learning was a chore.
"Some school refusers, the kids that don't want to be at school, well ag keeps them coming back," he said.
"I've had a few of them who have gone on to really good jobs. Those are the ones I'll miss most. That's so humbling."
For Ms Anscombe, it is a similar feeling of satisfaction she will miss when she leaves the school for the final time on December 17.
The English as an additional language teacher has spent the past 13 years with Wagga High. Since 2010, she has also shared her time with other schools around the region, mentoring teachers to take on the challenging role.
"I think when they get language, it just makes a difference to their lives, what they can access, how they learn in other classes, and it makes a huge impact on their families," Ms Anscombe said.
"They are so supportive of each other, it's very satisfying to see."
Her career began in 1977 teaching English as a second language in Bankstown, Sydney.
She relocated to the Riverina after six years when her husband found work in Wagga.
After spending 13 years with Charles Sturt University, she was approached for the English teaching role.
"I started when families were beginning to settle here, some of these kids have come with no prior education at all," she said.
Now, up to 10 per cent of the student body is made up of students who speak an additional language to English.
"The first thing to do is to build trust and rapport with them," Ms Anscombe said.
"You can't teach until they feel safe. [Some] have been through trauma, the majority have a refugee background and even if they have had some schooling it's very different to what they will have here."