I am excited to introduce you to this months ‘feature teacher’, Cassie.

Cassie is a young, enthusiastic teacher from Melbourne, Australia. When not teaching she is creating amazing content available on Teachers Pay Teachers Website. You can follow Cassie on Instagram at @teachingwithcass and be inspired by her fun-loving and bright personality. Cassie is also an avid adventure (like myself) and has travelled to over 30 countries. She is missing the travel lifestyle big time!

1. Why did you become a teacher?

The moment I stepped foot into primary school in my perfectly polished black Velcro shoes; I knew I wanted to be a teacher. The colourful posters on the walls, the perfect rainbow stack of pencils and crayons on the tables, the energy my teacher radiated; I knew I wanted to be there myself. Looking at Mrs Mac, the teacher I thought was 112 years old through fresh preppie eyes, taught me more than the 3R’s but taught me how fun, exciting and rewarding the profession was. I have never wanted to do anything more!

2. Tell us your favourite; year to teach, subject to teach and platform for resources

Favourite year to teach: I bite my tongue saying it, but definitely grade ones! During my placements, I was never placed in the junior years. When I was told that in 2020, my graduate year, that I would teach Grade 1; I cried. Lots. I didn’t think I was capable of teaching such small humans. How wrong I was! I couldn’t think of moving into senior school now. The little ones face life with a zest that only small children have. Their cheeky faces, their adaptability, their jokes and thoughts. I adored my class this year and wish I was moving to grade 2 with them!

Favourite subject to teach: Maths is my favourite subject and always has been. The methodology and the guarantee of a correct answer just makes sense to me.

Favourite platform for resources: Teacher’s Pay Teacher’s and I absolutely adore finding new talents on Instagram with wonderful ideas that I can incorporate into my own teaching.

 3. What is one of your favourite teaching memories?

I think my favourite moments, like most teachers, is visibly seeing a student have an ‘ah ha!’ moment. Especially if it’s in a topic they have struggles. Knowing I’ve been able to help a student face a challenge and accurately present a solution is incredibly rewarding! Another moment was when I tried to put a student into the freezer, but that’s a WHOLE other story!

4. What is the most important thing you have learnt while teaching?

How valuable it is to go watch the teacher next door. This year was so disturbed through Covid and Remote Learning that I didn’t have the opportunity to simply go walk into another teacher’s classroom. The simple things you see/pick up on are so incredibly valuable. During my VIT inquiry process (teacher registration) I found that the most beneficial part of the process was to watch another teacher do what they do best!

5. If you could invite one guest speaker into the classroom who would it be?

Tricky question and I think my answer would change based on my group of kids. I truly believe in democracy and that student voice and agency is crucial to incorporate into my classroom! Knowing my students from this year, I know they were very much interested in Art so I would have chosen a famous artist to come and get messy with paint and oils with them! Perhaps Van Gogh; I have a soft spot for his art.

6. What is your best teaching tip for beginning teachers?

Arrive. And. Leave. School. ON. TIME. I think there’s a pressure for beginning teachers to constantly be at school, to create the perfect classroom and to have ALL of the skills that their colleagues with 25 years’ experience have; it’s simply impossible. Getting to school at 7 am and leaving at 6 pm isn’t the way. Seeking help, accepting that you can’t be the greatest version of yourself when you’re still learning and sticking to timed boundaries is crucially important. Spending time in the classroom is incredibly important but relaxing at home on the couch to recharge is just as vital!

7. Teaching can be very demanding. How do you achieve a work/life balance?

I set boundaries for myself and ask others around me to ensure that I stick to them! There were countless nights this year that my partner had to physically remove my laptop from me so I would go to sleep. In order to prevent this, I decided I would stick to an 8 am-4:30 pm working day. I prioritise tasks based on their importance and I always complete a task that would take less than 10 minutes when I receive it to avoid a longgggggg to-do list from accumulating. This means I always have time at home to relax and my weekends are free for me (except during report writing, duh!)

I have established a routine that works for me but there isn’t one answer that can suit everybody. I also find that most teachers are so passionate about their work that at times, even if what they are doing is teaching related, it doesn’t feel like work. There’s a time and place to recognise that if you’re passionate and enjoy doing teacher-related things in your free time then that is absolutely okay, too! I spend most weeknights creating new TPT resources or engaging with teachers on Instagram (@teachingwithcass) and I absolutely LOVE it. Just find what works for you and stick to it!

8. What is one thing you like to do every day with your students?

I love making jokes with my kiddos. I find that establishing relationships with them where we can joke together goes a long way. I love seeing them laugh and I find that if we can begin the day with a few laughs then the rest of the day goes smoothly. Another thing I like to do is practice gratitude. After reading The Resilience Project, I have reflected on its importance and how wonderful it would have been to start developing the skills as a little one.

9. How do you minimise your environmental footprint in the classroom?

I am really passionate about minimising my environmental footprint at home and in the classroom. Seeing documents and student work laminated that doesn’t need to be makes me really sad. I only bring out the laminator for documents I am explicitly told needs to be laminated and for games that students constantly play with and touch. I also initiated Sustainability Week at my school this year where each class completed a sustainable challenge and created a pledge for sustainable living. I’m excited next year to do more!

10. Plan a perfect teaching day for us

Some sort of fitness activity in the morning followed by a hands-on, meaningful lesson that students can then write about (cooking, experiment, building), something relevant to my increase engagement. Followed by an open-ended maths task to cater for the different capabilities in my classroom and I’d finish the day with a trivia!

Thanks, Cassie for sharing. Your classroom setup looks amazing. What a great environment for your students. I especially love your advice to beginning teachers. Creating and sticking to work hours particularly in your early years of teaching is a very healthy idea!

To read past teacher profiles; click here.

If you are a teacher and are interested in being featured next month, we would love to hear from you. Send an email to laurathexplaura@gmail.com or drop a note below.