Just before Mair Brannelly left New South Wales to teach in Queensland, a former student brought her baby to school to see her.

“She said ‘Miss, I brought her because I want you to teach her’,” Mrs Brannelly said.

“That’s the best commendation that one could ever have.”

The former teacher started her career in 1964 in inner Sydney, and moved to Queensland in the late 1980s after falling in love and getting married. 

Mair, who always wanted to be a teacher, has taught in numerous state primary schools across southeast Queensland, including Kallangur, Petrie, Burpengary and Morningside state schools. 

She said while she spent a small amount of time in administration, she told the Department of Education when she arrived in Queensland that she wanted to stay in the classroom.

“I said ‘No, I want to be with the children — I want to be at the coalface’,” Mair said.

“It has been a wonderful career, I wish I could go back.”

Mair, who turned 74 this year, said the memories, and the students, were always the greatest part of her career.

​“Being with children: they are very fascinating individuals. As far as I’m concerned there are no wild or troublesome children, you just sit down with them or try and work issues out,” Mair said.

 “Whenever I had student teachers I would always say to them ‘Now, just remember that in about 20 or 30 years’ time those children that you have in front of you could be telling you what to do and where to go – you could be teaching a future Prime Minister or a Minister or a doctor or a psychologist’,” she said.
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 “And if you want to get the best out of them you put the best into them now, because at that young age, this is where first impressions are set … children are like soft clay … whatever you say or do it will carry through with them.”

Mair's top tips for beginning teachers

Treat children with respect and children need to treat you with respect. Look them straight in the eye — watch them, read them, and study them to better understand them.

Dramatize your teaching delivery to draw students in and engage them. 

Know that your students are your future and treat them accordingly.

Acknowledge the effort of your students' work with a comment, signature or initial and date if possible.
Make that connection. They have made the effort and in turn you make the effort to show that you care about them.

Build a bridge, trust. Take time to acknowledge them and thank them. Respect and manners is a two-way street.

Build a rapport with your students and do not favour one over any other.

Use real world examples when teaching whenever possible. 

Who, what, when, where, why and how questions are important tools in the teachers' toolkit.
These words open students' minds and discussions and give insight into their world.

Make sure you dress appropriately. 

​Always follow through with actions that you tell your students you are going to take.