"How many careers can you have fun on a daily basis, learn new things regularly and watch the smiles on faces of our children as they succeed with many new ideas?"
Teaching provides many opportunities to be part of the growth of children as learners and be involved in the many challenges that this brings.
The creative skills of children and teachers, and the strong links with parents, have always reinforced for me that teaching is a great career," said Mr Wilson, who will retire at the beginning of the first term next year.
In his 42-year career, Mr Wilson has taught at Twizel School, Dunedin North Intermediate, Northeast Valley Normal and George Street Normal before becoming acting principal at High Street School.
Since then, he has taught at Wakari School and been principal at Balaclava School. More recently, he has worked with the Education Review Office, been a mathematics adviser and lectured at the University of Otago College of Education.
"But I missed working at the pit face with the kids. So I went back to teaching."
And for the past 15 years, he has been at Kaikorai.
The many highlights included working with talented and creative staff, enthusiastic children and supportive parents, he said.
"Watching children's eyes light up as they recognise their successes and the challenges they take as they grow as learners is one of the greatest highlights for me."
Mr Wilson, who declined to give his age, planned to wean himself off the profession by working in education at a policy level and supporting other principals.
A replacement principal was expected to start at the beginning of term 2, he said. Until then, deputy principal Linda Martin would act as principal.
