Diane Hickey is thrilled to be the new teaching principal at Binda Public School, looking after its ten students.
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The Bevendale resident has moved from Binalong Public School in the Yass Valley where she was the relieving principal for 12 months.
Previously, Mrs Hickey was at Yass Public School for 16 years, starting as a teacher before becoming the assistant principal.
Mrs Hickey started teaching in 1994, but it wasn't her first career.
"I came late to teaching but I always wanted to be a teacher; from the time I was in kindergarten I wanted to be a teacher," she said.
Mrs Hickey started in real estate, deferring university while raising her first two children.
"I was always going to go back and do it (study teaching). I would go in and help at the school where my son was in kindergarten and I would come home and cry, because I knew I wanted to be a teacher. So my husband said, 'go and do it!'" she said.
Mrs Hickey studied teaching externally through Armidale over four years while working three days in real estate and raising her then three children in Dalton.
"I look back now and don't know how I did it, but it was the very right thing to do; it was the path I needed to take," she said.
Mrs Hickey worked in several small schools before starting at Yass Public School after qualifying.
It was while acting as principal at Yass Public that she realised this was the role for her and her time at Binalong Public confirmed that.
Mrs Hickey took Binalong Public students to Schools Spectacular for the first time while relieving as principal and created a young bloke's shed to promote better mental health and well-being among male students.
A student said the young bloke's shed was their favourite subject while at Binalong Public.
Mrs Hickey's favourite subject was music and art at school and is considering auditioning Binda Public students for Schools Spectacular this year.
"These kids can sing! I had a little tester the other day; I put some music on in the afternoon and they really love country music and I know all those songs, so we had a bit of a sing-along," she said.
Mrs Hickey's favourite thing as a teacher is naughty children and she completed a masters in special education four years ago.
"I love the difference you can make when you reach them and they connect with you," she said.
Although, Mrs Hickey said there are no naughty students at Binda Public and has loved every day since joining.
"The children and staff have made me feel so welcome. The kids are very open and very eager to learn," she said.
