The class of 2015 is wearing name tags and eager to start school.
A record 38 new teachers will begin at Tarneit P-9 College this week, a school in Melbourne’s outer-west growth corridor that has experienced an explosion in its student population.
When the school opened three years ago it had about 250 students. This year 1200 children will attend the school.
The cohort of new teachers is much larger than the average class size and on Tuesday they attended an induction day. They were briefed on everything from duty of care obligations to classroom management strategies and were also taken on a tour of the school’s ever-expanding grounds. Most of the learning takes place in 21 portable classrooms, which are connected by a series of paths.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to wear heels,” one teacher said.
Tish Singh is one of 15 graduate teachers starting at the school this year and says she’s excited about teaching one of the school’s 12 prep classes.
“I’ve wanted to be a teacher forever. I like helping children learn, and seeing them grow, it’s really rewarding,” the 31-year-old said.
Tahnee Matthews, 21, said the size of the school had many benefits for graduate teachers like herself.
“If we have any problems, or are stuck, there’s always someone to talk to. It’s exciting to be part of the growth. The school has only been open for three years so we can shape it”
She wonders how school meetings might operate with 106 staff members.
Deputy principal Rynn Anderson said the biggest challenge was creating a culture while such huge growth was occurring at the school.
“It’s not just about creating a culture with the students, but also about inducting staff and supporting staff to become part of our culture. Culture doesn’t occur over night. It’s a huge challenge but a really good challenge. In a school so large it can become easy to become separate, little mini schools within a school and we don’t want that.”
She said graduate teachers were assigned a mentor, and regular meetings were held throughout the year to ensure they received the right support. Literacy and numeracy consultants and leading teachers also provide coaching and support for staff.
“No teacher in our school is responsible for their grade alone. We’ve said that from the start, to all the teachers, if you feel you are alone we are failing you. “
The school has a diverse student population, and about 60 per cent come from households that speak a language other than English. Students predominantly come from low socio-economic backgrounds.
“We have kids that have arrived in Australia the week before school, we have kids that come from refugee camps, we have children coming from other schools,” Ms Anderson said.
On Tuesday a steady stream of families filtered through the school gates to enrol at the last minute. About 40 students enrolled at the school on Friday alone.
“Prep starts on Monday,” a woman at reception told a mother clutching an enrolment slip. “Good, that gives me enough time to get his school clothes ready,” the mother replied.
This story first appeared in The Age
