Back to School: 1st-year teachers make last-minute preps
First-year teacher Shirley Saryee has been dreaming of this day for a long time. She's been dreaming of seeing her classroom for the first time.
Her dreams have revolved around teaching since she can remember.
"I was fortunate enough to have a mother who really instilled a desire of learning," Saryee said. "So, as a teacher, I want to instill that in my students."
The road to teaching wasn't an easy one for Saryee.
"Finding a job was extremely difficult," she said. "I also substituted for Round Rock ISD to get a foot in the door, but there are so many people there trying to be teachers right now, I'm having a hard time just subbing."
But, it isn't hard for everyone. Yinus Kinkhabwala is going to be a first-year physics teacher at the new Eastside Memorial "New Tech" High School.
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Since science teachers are in high demand right now, finding a good match for him wasn't as difficult.
He said he has high hopes for his first class of students.
"I would be happy if, by the end, I can give them a project and they can go through it and learn what they need to learn by themselves with guidance," Kinkhabwala said.
Being a first year teacher doesn't come without some fears.
"You always think about the worst possible thing that can happen, the most evil student," Kinkhabwala said.
Though he knows when it comes down to it, his biggest worry is remembering the names of his 130 students.
For those tackling the task, being a teacher is one of the most important jobs in the world.
"It is a lot of hard work, but it's worth it in the end," Saryee said. "Once you actually start to interact with your students, you're making a difference in their lives."
Teachers are already back in schools this week planning for the new school year.
The first day of school for the Austin Independent School District is Aug. 24.
In Part 4 of News 8's Back-to-School series, Jennifer Borget will introduce us to students who dropped out of school but returned to class because of mentors. Check it out Thursday on News 8 Austin and News8Austin.com.