Teachers share the first-day nerves

By Glen Atwell
AS HUNDREDS of prep students settle into schools across the City of Greater Dandenong, spare a thought for the many graduate teachers who are also taking their first steps through the classroom doors.
For Yasmine Yesil, a prep teacher at Keysborough’s Maralinga Primary School, the transition from student to teacher has been hectic, but enjoyable.
Ms Yesil, 24, has spent the past two years completing a graduate Diploma of Education at Deakin University and is excited about her first year in the classroom.
“I live locally so I was over the moon when I got the job at Maralinga. It is just around the corner from where I grew up and went to school,” she said.
Despite completing her diploma as a high achieving student, Ms Yesil said nothing could prepare her for the first week of “real” teaching.
“It was hectic, to say the least. I think I was just as nervous as the prep students,” she said.
“The biggest challenge so far has been remembering everything.
“It isn’t just the names of the students but all the paperwork and organisation required.
“But Maralinga has a great support system and the other staff have been great to me.”
Ms Yesil teaches a class of 20 and has already encountered her fair share of first-year tears.
“It’s a whole new environment for the preps, so when there are tears it’s important to listen, let them get it out of their system and show you care,” she said.
Ms Yesil had expected to feel frazzled at the end of her first week.
“I’m very anxious to do well and make a great connection with the parents of students,” she said.
“People often forget that parents deal with the same stresses of starting school as their child does.”
Gayle Doney, assistant principal of Wallarano Primary School in Noble Park, said it was not unusual for graduate teachers to be more than nervous than their students.
“The new teachers are so anxious to perform both in and out of the classroom,” she said.
Wallarano has four graduate teachers starting this year: Martyn Drysdale, Amanda Thompson, Michelle Castro and Gabriella Reiner.
Ms Doney said the new teachers attended a three-day induction program before the school year started to improve classroom skills.
“It focuses on organisation, classroom management and building student rapport,’ she said.
“The graduates find it very helpful.”