From Ms Gyton

This week in Assembly, we watched a Bluey episode called Cricket – it is one of my favourites! If you haven’t seen it, I encourage you to take seven minutes out of your day to see what it’s all about on ABC iView. This episode is a story about a kid called Rusty and some of the challenges and experiences he has on the way to being a good cricketer.

In one part of the episode, Rusty receives some advice from his dad about a particular challenge he is facing:

” … As you grow up, you’ll face harder things than a cricket ball and you’ll have two choices: Back away and get out … or step in front and play a pull shot.”

Parents play such a big role in helping their children to make this choice and helping them develop the courage to take a deep breath and try something challenging or new. And so do teachers!

So as we approach World Teachers’ Day on Friday, I wanted to say thank you to all the teachers, near and far, who helped us all learn just how to step in front, face the challenge and play that pull shot!

Perhaps I am a little biased here …. But I think teaching is one of society’s most important professions. Behind every other profession, entrepreneur or artist sits a group of teachers who helped that person learn, grow and believe in themselves. This impact extends far beyond the school years in ways that are impossible to measure.

Great teachers work little by little and as a team, to inspire curiosity, build confidence, nurture character, and help young people grow. Every day, they balance the intellectual, emotional, and social needs of their students, striving for classrooms that help all students experience both challenge and success.

Are they perfect? Of course not – there is no such thing in human beings! And teaching, just like parenting, is the work of one generation of human beings growing the next one … it requires expertise, patience, energy and creativity. It requires persistence and a vision for the long term, not just the here and now. Much of what teachers do happens quietly and often unseen: the careful preparation, the thoughtful feedback or the countless small acts of care.

For me, that is why saying “thank you” matters. So thank you to all the great teachers out there! Thank you for all the work that is visible and invisible. Thank you for the time, energy and care you put in each day. And a special thank you to my Maths teacher, Chris, all those years ago (who even made me bring my homework to the swimming carnival to make sure I caught up under her watchful eye).

Next time you’re stuck in the traffic, or waiting to pick up a coffee, pause for a moment and think back to your time as a school student. Who was that teacher for you? Perhaps they were the one who recognised your potential before you saw it yourself, or kept encouraging you when you really struggled, or changed your mind about how much you loved a subject … or had some magic words at just the right moment. Long after we have forgotten an exam result, a tricky assignment or a busy calendar, we remember the teachers who were there with us and helped us along the way.

Thank you to all the teachers out there on World Teachers’ Day!

Holly Gyton
Head of School