Siobhan:

I'd like to acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. I'd like to pay respect to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today.

Opening Credits:

Welcome to the Teach NSW Podcast, a podcast by teachers for teachers. I'm Shannon, and I'm Siobhan.

Siobhan:

Welcome back to another episode of the Teach NSW Podcast. This is a special edition World Teachers’ Day episode. You are with myself, Siobhan, and Shannon, and we welcome you back to the podcast. Today we are celebrating and recognising World Teachers' Day. World Teachers' Day was a day developed by UNESCO in 1994 to acknowledge all teachers and celebrate the impact that they have on the lives of students throughout education. Internationally, it's celebrated on the 5th of October, but in NSW public schools we celebrate it on the 25th of October. So, we are very much looking forward to celebrating World Teachers' Day.

Shannon:

Yes, absolutely.

Siobhan:

And we thought for this episode, that we'd just share a little bit of our journey through education, whether that be from our own schooling memories ourselves, our time studying as teachers, and reflecting back on the incredible teachers that we had too. So, we're looking forward to sharing a little bit of an insight into our own lives with you today to recognise the importance that is the teaching profession.

Shannon:

All right, let's talk about our 'why' Siobhan. I mean, here we are sitting here celebrating World Teachers' Day, but let's talk about your 'why', first of all. Why did you become a teacher? Why did you study teaching?

Siobhan:

Yeah, it's a really great question. For me, I always felt as though my calling was in something that was creative and something that was helping people.

Shannon:

Mm.

Siobhan:

So, originally I actually was going to go into marketing.

Shannon:

Okay.

Siobhan:

I really loved the show on the ABC 'The Gruen Transfer', and they’d come up with the ideas for ads. So I, like my dream job at one point in time, was to be the person who came up with the ideas for ads.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

That's what my, you know, vision was. I could imagine myself sitting in a boardroom and someone says, 'Okay, we've got this product and this is how we need to pitch it.' So, once I thought a bit deeper, I looked into, well, what skills, what drew me to that role itself? And a lot of the time it was the creativity, but I don't really think that I was nailing the people aspect in that role. So, I kind of took a step back and thought, 'Okay, what role encompasses all those skills?' And for me it was teaching. So, teaching was certainly something I was unsure of whether I would be good at it or not. And I think that's a really common fear for a lot of people in any career.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

Thankfully, I absolutely fell in love with it and I still feel like there's so much to learn.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

I'm still, you know, thinking, 'Okay, maybe I want to retrain in special and inclusive education, or maybe I want to look into specialist roles.' I just feel that the world of teaching is so broad and the world is your oyster in that respect.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

I still actually feel really, still really fresh to it as a profession because there are just so many different pathways that you can take. And that's something that I never knew when I first picked teaching as a career. I didn't actually think that it was, you know, this pathway of possibilities. I just thought, 'Okay, I picked the subject that I want to teach and I go off and teach it.' For me, I selected English because that really gave me the creative aspect. But I was also fully aware that it's a 7 to 12 subject, so we'll always need English teachers.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

As opposed to my minor, which is society and culture, which is a senior subject only. So, I kind of thought, okay, kind of critically, in that English is probably where I'll be spending the majority of my time. But society and culture was definitely my favourite subject in school. And one I hold really close to my heart. So, I love both of them and that's my 'why'.

Shannon:

I love that.

Siobhan:

How about you?

Shannon:

Thanks for sharing. I remember like tossing up a couple of different options. When I was in Year 10, I was pretty, like, pretty strong-willed about becoming a lawyer and I used to do like mock trial at school. And I loved it so much. Like I didn't mind if I was like acting as the barrister or the solicitor, like I just thrived in that environment. I loved how it was like fast paced, always changing. Problem solving, I think was what really like, kept me going. And then I did work experience in Year 10 with a lawyer in the city, the big city lights.

Siobhan:

The big smoke.

Shannon:

Getting the train every day. And that was a very eye-opening experience. It was with a barrister and we got to go into the courtroom. And yeah, it was a really, really wonderful experience. But my thinking kind of shifted. I always knew I wanted to help people. So, I also resonate with that sentiment. And then I sort of, I don't know, I was always curious about like interpersonal skills, how the inner workings of people's minds, what happened there? Psychology, I suppose. So, I initially started studying, I did a Bachelor of Arts degree and then I majored in psychology, but I focused on educational psychology in particular. And then I sort of started working in a before and after school care centre. And then further down the line I worked as an SLSO. And I think my, yeah, my enjoyment and my fulfilment of working with students and just like in a developmental capacity started to come through. And then I decided to do the Masters of Teaching. The reason I went into primary school teaching was because I loved and thrived on like the creativity of having all the subjects.

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

And I think, honestly I just couldn't really nail down one that I wanted to settle with to do high school teaching, but I also resonated a lot with the younger students and I wanted to have that impact on them at such a, like, an early age in their educational journey, I suppose. So, that's why I found myself in that space, I guess my 'why'. Teaching was one of the things I feel like I loved coming back because not only the creativity with, like, your programming, you know, we have so much

Siobhan:

Autonomy.

Shannon:

Autonomy as teachers and I really love that about the profession. Like, I'd be driving to work or something and I would see something on my drive and that would spark a lesson idea. Like, there's nothing really similar to it I suppose, like in any other career. And that's constantly being like challenged with being able to create new ideas. How will I present the content? How will I tailor the outcomes for, you know, for this element of the syllabus for my students? Like what am I going to do? I loved all those little challenges.

Siobhan:

Yeah, it is. I think it keeps you challenged.

Shannon:

Constantly.

Siobhan:

All the time in a good way.

Shannon:

Absolutely. No, and I really responded well to that as a person. I think I needed that in a career pathway. So yeah, that was my 'why'. And I feel like there's always so many little elements in a school that you can sort of dip in and out of. Like if you're interested in creative and performing arts, for example, like you can go and explore that. If you're interested in numeracy, you can go and have your time with that.

Siobhan:

If you're a sporty person

Shannon:

If you're sports, oh my goodness, there's so much to do. So yeah, that's why I really love teaching. I think not only just the students in your class, but that's what kept me coming back. It was the constant challenge and evolution of a career path for me.

Siobhan:

That's right, and it would be ignorant for me not to recognise the people who inspired me along the way,

Shannon:

Oh yeah.

Siobhan:

Being my own teachers. So, I think they also form part of my 'why'. So, when I was reflecting, I really, all of my teachers were incredible. A product of the public education system. So, 2 really inspirational teachers that I had throughout my primary schooling were Mr Wassell and Mrs Penny. They really stood out to me because their just infectious warmth, and kindness, and generosity that they would give to us as students was really impactful to me. And I'm forever grateful for that. I actually have a really big memory of them coming to our grand final for netball.

Shannon:

Aw.

Siobhan:

Yeah. So, just that impact that they have

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

To us within the classroom and outside of the classroom is really special too. It's like, you know, I see videos all the time of young kids looking for their parents in the crowd

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

At special events. But this one was like us looking for our teachers in the crowd. And that was really special. So, that's something that I'll always hold dear to me. And then my high school teachers, again all incredible. The ones that really stand out to me are the ones in my senior years of schooling. So, I ended up doing 5 subjects in the end. So, all 5 of them, my hospitality teacher, Mrs Daley, my ancient history teacher, Mrs Waygood, 2 society and culture teachers, Mr Cox and Mrs Jones, they really fed my love for the subject and it was probably the first time in my schooling that I actually saw a great significance between the outside world and my schooling world. And they really made, just life, make sense for me, which I really appreciated.

Shannon:

Especially at that age,

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon

Where you're

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

Just on the cusp of coming into your own like adult life.

Siobhan:

Yeah. I constantly felt challenged by them in a good way. And they opened my mind up to the social and cultural world around me, which you know, sometimes we can grow up in a bubble. So, they really opened my perspectives up to the world, which is amazing. My English teacher, Miss Weir who, not sure if she'd be surprised or not if I'm an English teacher, because

Shannon:

I wonder.

Siobhan:

Looking back on it, I wasn't like the most incredible English student. But I, it was the skills that, or I suppose the values of English teaching that really stuck with me. And she was an exceptional teacher. But those are, yeah, some of my most inspirational high school teachers. They all kind of let me be me I suppose. And yeah, I would be interested to hear from them if they expected me to be just like them.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

Choose teaching as a career. But yeah, I'm really thankful to them and they form part of my 'why' as well.

Shannon:

Yeah, I love that.

Siobhan:

Did you have any inspirational teachers in your life?

Shannon:

Yeah, definitely. No doubt. Thinking back, and I spoke to my mum actually about this this morning because I was reminiscing on my primary school years. So, there was one teacher in particular, I don't know what it was but fractions just weren't for me in Year 4. So, I think like, and it's really funny now that I reflect, and I think I've spoken about this on previous episodes, as a teacher now I'm so hyper-focused on making mathematics accessible and digestible for the students that I teach. And I think it's because I remember vividly how I felt in Year 4 when I didn't understand

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

The concept of fractions. But I had this beautiful teacher, Mrs Storan. And now as a teacher, looking back, I know that I was having like one-to-one intervention.

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

That's what I was getting. But at the time I felt really special.

Siobhan:

I felt seen and special. I, yeah.

Shannon:

Yeah. And like it's so funny now we obviously know how a classroom ecosystem works. But yeah, she gave me that one-on-one time and took the time to assist me with mathematics and help me understand it. And you know, I stuck with mathematics all the way through to my high school certificate and I got a good result in mathematics in the end. So, you know, her putting in that time with me, I think that's really stuck with me in my childhood memories because, and I just really would never want a student in my class to feel that way.

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

I would always want them to feel so supported. And you know, numeracy can be that thing. Some students, they get it so naturally and they just, that logic is like almost black and white to them. And some people, they're just, our minds are just not mathematically inclined. We need a little bit of extra one-to-one support.

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

So I think for her, I really just, her making me feel so seen and valued, stuck with me right through to my own pedagogy. And then when, in high school I had a number of really wonderful teachers along the way, in particular was actually my modern history teacher, Mr Condell. And I think he was just really real. Like he was just like, you know, you have the capability, if you work hard you can go places.

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

And he was just real about it.

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

And I respected that because he wasn't beating around the bush. It was like, you know, put in the hard work, put in the effort, get your HSE, get your good results, go to university. Like that's just what you got to do. And I was like, makes a lot of sense. So, he was really wonderful. And again, I think I took, you know, modern history because I liked how he taught. I liked how he was very matter of fact. And then my legal studies teacher as well, I had Mr Thomas one year and I had Mrs Rigg another year. Both of them, yeah just, I loved legal studies. And Mr Thomas used to take us for the mock trial as well. And we used to go around to the different schools. And I think having that relationship with your teacher in an extra-curricular as well. I suppose, I know as a teacher I see my students in a different manner when they do an extra-curricular, but I now know, like I saw my teacher in a different setting,

Siobhan:

Yes.

Shannon:

I suppose. So that was really inspirational. Like, you know, you're more than in your classroom, he had so many skills to teach beyond the classroom. So, they would be the ones that stuck out for me, definitely.

Siobhan:

Gosh, it's so funny. Even as you're talking, I'm thinking of so many other teachers who have had such a profound impact on me. And one thing that really sparked my mind just then was, they're such a master of their craft.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

In that, you know, I would come in at the start of the year absolutely not caring less about geography for example. And then I had one teacher, Mr Carroll, who just like, he had blow-me-out-of-the-water resources, like these fancy PowerPoints, and like really great worksheets, and we were doing rotating station activities.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

And I just thought he was incredible and I put so much effort in because I saw how much effort he was also putting in. So I'm thinking, 'Man, this guy's putting in a lot of work for us. Like I want to pay that back to him.'

Shannon:

But now as a teacher, isn't it crazy? You're like, 'Well, he knew his students and how they learned.' You're like, 'Wow. You were nailing the standards, sir.’

Siobhan:

Exactly right.

Shannon:

But it's true. Yeah. No, absolutely. And you value that. I had a really wonderful English teacher as well, Mr Lal. And I remember like he would let some of us read the novel and it was like groundbreaking for us as students.

Siobhan:

Oh, let alone playing parts. When you get allocated a part in a Shakespearean play.

Shannon:

Oh, absolutely. Yeah, that's when I really came to

Siobhan:

Came alive.

Shannon:

Came to shine. But I, yeah, I remember reading out in class and just the way he'd be like, you know, he'd just be like, ‘Wow, that was really great reading’ or something. And it just means so much to you as a teenager. It's like, 'Wow, they really value my participation in class.' And I think as a teenager you're growing up, you're going through the motions of figuring out who you are and it's those like stable teachers that are there for you along the way that really stand out in my mind.

Siobhan:

We have brought in some mementos for this episode to reflect on who we were as students.

Shannon:

Special memorabilia.

Siobhan:

Analyse it from a critical lens,

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

In that respect. So we do have a few things to share. So shall we segue now into looking at what we were like as pre-service teachers?

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

So we've talked about our journey into teaching, but how did we actually go on our placements? I believe we both have our final practicum reports here.

Shannon:

Yes.

Siobhan:

Shall we read,

Shannon:

I've got a digital copy.

Siobhan:

Read the summary comment

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

Of how you went on your final practicum placement?

Shannon:

I think that's a good idea.

Siobhan:

This is really lovely because I think it really reflects and shows that as teachers we continue to give back to the next generation of teachers.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

So, our mentor or supervising teachers spend so much time sharing their skills and knowledge to help develop us that I think, you know, you kind of don't really realise it at the time. You just think, 'Okay, this is my mentor, this is the person I've been allocated to.' But they give a lot of themselves to you.

Shannon:

Yeah. I was actually her, she was retiring, my prac teacher

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

For my final prac, she was retiring that year and I was her final prac student.

Siobhan:

Oh, I love that. Well she has some beautiful things to say about you. She has thoroughly enjoyed, 'I have thoroughly enjoyed having Shannon as a pre-service teacher on 3H. She demonstrates a kind and compassionate nature and it is evident that she loves working with children. Shannon is always very professional in her dealings with all members of the school and is very willing to act on any advice given. She will be really missed and I hope she returns to our school as a casual teacher. I thoroughly recommend her for a career in teaching and know that any school she is a teacher at will be all the better for having her there. Shannon is able to work individually, and as part of a team. She demonstrates initiative and does not wait to be told what to do.' That still is the thing. I definitely see that one Mrs Hollins, I agree with you there. 'Shannon displays a love of teaching and working with children. She's very kind but firm. Her smile lights up the room and really puts the children at ease.' That's really lovely.

Shannon:

I know.

Siobhan:

'It has been a pleasure having Shannon as the pre-service teacher of our class.' That's so nice.

Shannon:

Honestly, makes me teary.

Siobhan:

What a nice comment. I know, that's really lovely. I'm teary too. I just think it goes to show that when you have a mentor teacher, they see you as, yes, the practitioner in the classroom,

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

But also as the kind human that you are and the time and energy and effort that you put into your practicum placements, which you do

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

For a really long time, and put a lot of effort and your personal, like, energy and life into. So it's nice to have that recognition. That's a really lovely keepsake.

Shannon:

It is.

Siobhan:

If you're a pre-service teacher, keep your prac reports.

Shannon:

Yeah. They're honestly really nice to look back on and I hadn't looked back at mine in quite a few years, so

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

It's really nice to hear that.

Siobhan:

Definitely.

Shannon:

And I really hope Mrs Hollins is enjoying her retirement.

Siobhan:

Again, another reason,

Shannon:

She deserves it.

Siobhan:

Another reminder of our 'why'.

Shannon:

Absolutely.

Siobhan:

Right there. I love that.

Shannon:

All right, let me have a look at your summary report.

Siobhan:

Oh God, if you got teary, I'm going to be a blubbering mess.

Shannon:

Honestly, and I'm not a crier.

Siobhan:

I know.

Shannon:

I'm in touch with my feelings today. World Teachers' Day is really getting me.

Siobhan:

Lovely day.

Shannon:

All right. 'Siobhan has developed her teaching, learning and discipline strategies throughout her time at X high school. She has set goals for her own professional development and exceeded these goals.' You go. 'Siobhan has become comfortable in the classroom and staffroom and she has found her teacher persona. It has become a natural part of herself. It has been wonderful to watch Siobhan grow and develop throughout the internship. She's able to follow direction well and also take initiative on things when they do not go to plan.'

Siobhan:

Oh my gosh, we have like a really similar comment there.

Shannon:

We do. It's quite funny actually. 'She is a team player who sees the situation unfolding and makes an effort to assist others who need support. Siobhan will be an asset to the teaching profession and will be a valuable member of any faculty she joins.'

Siobhan:

These are really similar.

Shannon:

I know.

Siobhan:

They're really similar.

Shannon:

Do you think they had a formula?

Siobhan:

Yeah, maybe they had a formula.

Shannon:

'Her maturity and hardworking attitude allow her to undertake tasks to a high standard. Siobhan has ensured she became involved in a range of activities around the school, including learning support, incursions, welfare programs and peer support training. A major accomplishment for Siobhan has been immersing herself into the positive psychology program within the school and ensuring she adopts the fundamental ideas of mindfulness and wellbeing into her classroom and interactions with staff. It has been a pleasure mentoring Siobhan this term and I know she'll be very successful in her teaching career.'

Siobhan:

Aw, that's lovely.

Shannon:

That's honestly very similar. Are we the same person?

Siobhan:

Are we the same person?

Shannon:

Oh my goodness.

Siobhan:

That's so funny. But yeah, it just goes to show that your efforts are rewarded on your placements. And I think that if people have listened to previous episodes of us giving out advice on how to ace your prac, it's clear that we practised what we preach. Because you know, we say get involved in whole school, get to know the community and the students within your classroom, but those outside of it too. So, those efforts are acknowledged, clearly, and really have an impact on the rest of your career, definitely.

Shannon:

I actually had my very first prac teacher reach out to me recently

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

Like sent me a message, because he had seen clips of myself and yourself up on the podcast on Teach NSW Instagram. And he messaged me and said basically along the lines of like, he couldn't believe that this is what I was doing now and how incredibly proud he was of my journey and that he knew that I would do wonderful things in education. So I think that was a real like full-circle moment for me as well. Like hearing from my first mentor because he taught me so, so much, like,

Siobhan:

Oh yeah.

Shannon:

I was in the very, very early beginning of my master's degree then. And yeah, it was quite profound how much I learned in those, like that 6-week placement.

Siobhan:

Oh yeah.

Shannon:

So very grateful to him giving me that foundation.

Siobhan:

And it's a trusting relationship that you have to build with them because they're giving you feedback.

Shannon:

Oh yeah.

Siobhan:

On things that might not be working.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

And so you need to be open and receptive to that because it's only going to be for your professional growth

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

In the long run

Shannon:

100%.

Siobhan:

And your own development. So, it is a special relationship that you do form with your supervising teacher because you are so open to them and

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

They're open to you as well.

Shannon:

They're giving up their time. I was about to say, I think like now on the other side of the fence, it's a lot to take on a pre-service teacher. You know, you're bringing someone into your classroom where you have your students and your routines and you're allowing them the space and place to be able to develop their craft with your students alongside their learning journey. And I think it's a really great thing to be a part of giving back to the system, to be able to mentor the next generation of teachers.

Siobhan:

Yeah. So what's that, reason number 1072 why teachers are amazing?

Shannon:

Honestly, so true. The limit does not exist.

Siobhan:

Very timely to celebrate that on World Teachers' Day.

Shannon:

Absolutely.

Siobhan:

For sure.

Shannon:

Well speaking of celebrating, I have here a letter, for those who like ASMR.

Siobhan:

Enjoy.

Shannon:

A letter here from one of your Year 12 students.

Siobhan:

The whole class.

Shannon:

The whole class, your whole Year 12

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

Class. Year 12 Advanced English class.

Siobhan:

Yeah, it's very long.

Shannon:

It is a very long letter.

Siobhan:

We're just sharing a little excerpt today.

Shannon:

All right. 'Although this year has been one of storms, you have proven to us that after rain there will always come a rainbow. And for many of us you have been that exact right wavelength of light to brighten our moods even on the gloomiest of days.'

Siobhan:

They're so good.

Shannon:

'We cannot fully express how much we appreciate the effort you have put into our class and the pure happiness that you always radiate to us through your teaching. Thank you for the laughs, for the learning, and most importantly, for always being there for us when we needed you most.'

Siobhan:

Who taught them to write like this?

Shannon:

This is really emotional.

Siobhan:

Who taught them to write like that?

Shannon:

'You are a one-of-a-kind teacher and we feel so lucky to have had you guide us through our last 2 years. For now it is goodbye. But we hope that you…' I don't think I can read this.

Siobhan:

We took a slight intermission to cry.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

Now we're back.

Shannon:

Took a slight intermission while we

Siobhan:

Composed ourselves.

Shannon:

I felt very emotional

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

For your Year 12s. 'So thank you for the laughs, for the learning, and for most importantly, always being there for us when we needed you most. You are a one-of-a-kind kind teacher and we feel so lucky to have had you guide us through our last 2 years of high school. For now it is goodbye, but we hope that you remember us, the class of 2020, as a good bunch of kids who were always just one good KFC metaphor away from understanding English. We will miss you immensely. And we look back fondly on the great times we've shared, both together, individually, and as a class. Lots of love.’ And then all their names.

Siobhan:

All of their names. And I remember every single one of them. And having little mementos like that is just such a reminder of why we do what we do and how critically important our role is. I think it's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day, you know, grind of, yes, it's a career that brings a lot of passion, but it is also your job.

Shannon:

Yeah. Oh, I need that permission note, or I have to call that parent back, or I have to submit my reports, or.

Siobhan:

Yeah, yeah. So it's really easy to get caught up in, you know, the day-to-day role. I think it's really important to have little mementos like this and take the time to reflect on the impact that you can have in this role. And that's the purpose of today's episode. It's not just about sharing funny memories or, you know, what other people think about us. But it's actually the long lasting impact that you can have on people. And I think that there's no career like it.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

I think, at what point in what career would you ever get this letter riddled with symbolism, and metaphors, and textual references to texts that we've studied across 2 years with such lovely personal insights into who you are as a person

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

And a reflection on that. There's, I really couldn't tell you any other career or profession where you would find that. So, I know I can always go back to it if I am, you know, having a day.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

Need a bit of a pep in my step.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

But that's just one small reminder of the importance of the work that we do. And it's really important to celebrate those magic moments.

Shannon:

Yeah, and keep a little box.

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

A little box of pick me ups almost, which is like your gratitude box. I got advice very early in my career from one of my supervisors to, even like emails that you'd get from parents or from colleagues,

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

Put them in a folder.

Siobhan:

100%.

Shannon:

Save them in the cloud.

Siobhan:

I love it.

Shannon:

And there also where you can go for, you know, just to reflect on why we do this.

Siobhan:

Exactly. Now, I was dealing with a group of Year 12 English Advanced students who know how to write

Shannon:

Yes.

Siobhan:

Beautiful letters. So, I'm very, very, very thankful for their kind words. It's funny on the primary school side of things because the way that they express their gratitude and thanks is so different,

Shannon:

Absolutely.

Siobhan:

But it's so cute.

Shannon:

Yeah.

Siobhan:

So, I've got one of your many thank you notes here. It's beautifully designed on Canva. So, I know that the student

Shannon:

We had a real push for graphic design.

Siobhan:

Picked up some serious graphic design skills from you. It's titled, 'To a Marvellous Teacher.' And it says, 'Thank you for being a marvellous teacher and supporting us through tough times. Thank you for providing us with so much knowledge in the most easily digestible manner!!' 2 exclamation marks. 'You were always an inspiration to us and will hold a special place in our hearts. A good teacher isn't someone who gives the answers. It's someone who is smart enough to explain how to do it.' And it's a quote, that's a quote from somebody famous. 'Thank you for being that kind of a teacher who can not only teach but inspire, provide emotional support and be there for your students!!' 2 exclamation marks again. 'You are charismatic, affectionate, and supportive. You're a teacher who will never be forgotten. Thank you for making learning fun, creative and enjoyable. You work as hard as a bee, have the intelligence of an elephant, the empathy of a dog and the patience of an owl. We will miss you next year. Please come and visit us. Good luck in your future endeavours.'

Shannon:

Oh, to me, like having a Year 5 student to be able to articulate their

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

Emotions in that manner.

Siobhan:

Yeah, the vocabulary's off the chart.

Shannon:

Honestly it's better than me articulating my own emotions at times.

Siobhan:

It's just so beautiful to, just to be seen like that.

Shannon:

It is.

Siobhan:

Yeah, there's no feeling quite like it.

Shannon:

I think this World Teachers' Day, take out your memorabilia, take out what you have. Even if you're not a teacher, if you're thinking about becoming a teacher, look back at your school reports.

Siobhan:

That's right.

Shannon:

And you know, think about those teachers that you had along the way that took the time to write that report about you, to get to know you, to see you,

Siobhan:

Yeah.

Shannon:

And to support you on your learning journey.

Siobhan:

I agree.

Shannon:

Because there's no other career like it.

Siobhan:

I agree. And if you're looking to give back, celebrate a teacher today. Tell them these kind words yourself, face-to-face, via a message. Just share the positive impact that they've had on your life because I'm sure that they will certainly appreciate it.

Shannon:

Absolutely. Well, I think that's enough emotional.

Siobhan:

I think, yeah.

Shannon:

Emotion for one day.

Siobhan:

Had enough for the day.

Shannon:

Thank you so much for joining us for this special episode all about celebrating teachers on this World Teachers' Day. We look forward to hearing, you know, how you're going to celebrate a teacher this World Teachers' Day. And hopefully you'll share a message or share this episode with someone who you think would enjoy listening. Until next time, we will join you back on the Teach NSW Podcast couches very soon. Take care.

Siobhan:

Bye.

Shannon:

Thank you for tuning in to the Teach NSW Podcast, where we explore the dynamic world of education. Don't forget to follow, like, and subscribe to be notified when new episodes become available. You can find us on social media via our handle @TeachNSW. Until next time, keep learning, keep teaching, and keep making a difference. This podcast is produced by the Teach NSW team from the NSW Department of Education.