The thing that comes to mind when I think about why I wanted to be a classroom teacher is very much my classroom experience as a student. I had teachers in my world who really cared for me and made school feel like a really safe space.

I started out as a casual teacher and I absolutely loved it and it was at that moment in time that I knew this was my gig, this was for me.

I worked really hard and was supported to apply for a permanent position, and in two and a half years I was a stage three assistant principal. As a beginning teacher, you're trying to grasp what you've obtained at university and then implement that into the classroom space, so it's fantastic to have formal mentors, your supervisor and your team all coming together in unison to make sure that you feel happy and comfortable in your classroom setting.

I've got a real drive to keep giving back to the teaching community and the teaching profession.

And one of the ways that I do that is through resource making and sharing ideas or strategies or teacher tips and and tricks. We network all across New South Wales all across Australia and even the globe, and we’ve formed a really safe and supportive network and environment. We share ideas, we give each other strategies, we build each other up and we encourage each other at the end of the day.

I have gotten myself to a certain point in my career that I didn't even know was possible when I started out as a classroom teacher. I feel like I'm in a really happy space and place. I'm really grateful for it.

My name is Sarah and I teach in a New South Wales public school.