We’re featuring members of VIT Council so you can learn more about the people who help guide and support our work.
Mary-Anne Pontikis, State education sector teacher
What sparked your interest in becoming a Council member?
What sparked my interest in becoming a member of the VIT Council is my strong and on-going commitment to a skilled, registered, qualified and regulated teaching profession in Victoria.
I have always believed that teachers needed to have significant representation and decision -making roles within the structure of the regulator.
By being a member of the VIT Council, I believe I can make a positive difference in the development of the teaching profession and the education, safety and well-being of the children in our schools.
What is your role outside your work on the VIT Council?
Currently I am working at Gaayip-Yagila Primary School one day a week where I release Graduate Teachers for their Career Start program and they meet with their mentors. On the remaining days I work as a Casual Relief Teacher at the same school.
What extracurricular activities do you enjoy doing?
When I am not teaching, I volunteer for the City of Melbourne at many events throughout the year which I really enjoy.
I love to travel and go to many musicals, concerts, theatres and restaurants.
At home I enjoy playing the flute, knitting and practising calligraphy in between my love of reading books.
What part of your work do you find most rewarding?
The most rewarding part of teaching for me is knowing that every day when I walk into a classroom I can make a difference to a student(s) life by helping them to build confidence, believe in themselves, to have a go and understand that yes, it is okay to make mistakes.
Was there a teacher who really made a difference in your life or education? What was it about them that made such an impact?
A teacher who really made a difference in my life and education was my dear late father.
My father encouraged me to pursue my dream of becoming a teacher from a young age.
When I was in Year 4 I became very sick and was bedridden for a few months. I missed out on a huge amount of school work and found it very difficult to settle back into school routine when I became well enough to return.
My father helped me with my handwriting, listened to me read every night, helped me with my spelling and multiplication tables and patiently taught me how to solve fractions!
What made such an impact was my father’s empathy, patience, tolerance, kindness and understanding when I became frustrated with school work and he encouraged me to not give up and to persevere.