Child 1: Ms. Grossbard used to be my dad's teacher. That's how old she is. But she's only 17, because she was born in a leap year.
Judi Grossbard: My name is Judi Grossbard. You won't believe it; I've been teaching for 50 years.
When I was a little girl, I started playing school at home.
I'd have my teddies lined up and everything.
And then when I got to year five and six, I used to go down to the infant school it was called in those days, and I'd be playing school down there.
So at the end of year six, I decided I'm going to be a teacher. And I never, ever deviated from that.
That's always been what I wanted to do.
My first position was at Footscray. I didn't know there was a place called Footscray in those days because I'm from the other side of the suburbs.
I had some chalk, and I had some, you know, those coloured beads.
And that's all I had in my classroom when I first started.
So, my thirty-three children came into the classroom and sat down and looked at me expectantly and I was so excited, and I loved every single second of that.
We develop a bond with these little children.
And I say, so you can tell me anything that's worrying you, anything that you would like to tell me at all. And we'll solve the problem together.
I've got one child who came to school this year just sobbing. They'd come from another state. The child hadn't attended school for a term. The parents told me that that child had never been able to go to After School Programs. Now, comes in every morning with a big smile, chats to me. Her work is just ‘whoop’, going like this. So that's the joy of teaching.
Child 2: She's the best teacher in the school.
Child 1: She plays fun teaching games and it's really fun.
Child 3: I like it when she asks us what is happening in the story when we're doing readings.
Judi Grossbard: Being in the classroom with those children is amazing. But I have to say at Gardenvale it's also my colleagues. I can go in that staffroom, sit next to absolutely anyone and just have the best conversations. We are like one big family. Our principal, Janine Hall, makes us feel that way.
And our AP’s, and it's just the most beautiful place to work.
I come into my happy space in this classroom, and I just feel content. I feel a level of happiness. When that music goes, and the children come in I can't wait for them to tell me about their night and what's happened. And it's just, it's a magical thing in this classroom.
There is nothing else in my life that makes me happier.
Children: Thank you, Mrs. Grossbard!
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