02 Feb 2021
This week 150 new educators will teach their very classes in ACT public schools, delivering their own lesson plans and beginning to build relationships with the students and school community that they will call home.
It’s an exciting and nervous time as they embark on the first step of their careers in education. After years of study, they will now have the chance to put their knowledge into practice.
Brianne Carrigy has lived the roller-coaster of emotions and new experiences that come with those first few terms as a teacher.
Last year, she was named as the New Educator of the Year at the 2020 Public Education Awards.
In Brianne’s first year, she not only took on the challenges of starting in a new career but was faced with the unprecedented changes to delivering education that came with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although it was a truly unusual first year to start out in the profession, she’s learned a lot from her experiences and has shared her advice for other first time educators to ensure they make the most of their first year.
- Collaborate
Seek opportunities to work collaboratively with others, join your local teaching association, the union and look for mentors.
- Use humour
Humour can be a useful tool to deescalate tension and build positive relationships with students.
- Teaching is complex so 'Be OK with grey'
Teachers manage multiple expectations, meaning that not every situation is black and white and often have to navigate ‘grey’ areas. Have faith in your ability to respond to situations and keep reflecting and learning from them.
- Don’t underestimate your impact
You might never know the impact you have on some students, just because you don’t get a thank you or see immediate results, don’t assume you aren’t impacting your students.
- Maintain a work/life balance
Be kind to yourself. Work out what recharges you and ensure you make time to do those things.