"I love my job it's so rewarding," he said.

"That's testament to the environment at work and the collaboration with the staff and the kids."

World Teachers' Day is on Friday, October 29 and is an opportunity for the community to celebrate the future of education and thank hardworking teachers.

Mr Finlayson has been a teacher at Autism Spectrum Australia's (Aspect) Satellite School in Port Macquarie for four years.

He decided to become a teacher after being inspired by his mum, who found teaching to be a fulfilling career.

"She was always very happy, had a great quality of life and loved her job," he said.

Mr Finlayson teaches eight students in the Year 5/6 class and is assisted by a teacher's aid.

"There's a lot we can do to suit the individual child's needs because they really need to have that engagement and motivation in that setting," he said.

"We've got kids who love the Wiggles, so we tailor their whole learning style around their special interests."

Mr Finlayson described the lockdown periods due to the coronavirus pandemic as "very tough".

However he said teachers used technology to maintain connection with the children.

"The development of social skills for the students is so important," he said.

In 2022 Mr Finlayson is looking forward to participating in community access days with the students, as they haven't been able to run in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The excursions are all about trying to get the kids familiar and comfortable with being in the community," he said.

"You really get to witness them coming out of their shells."

Camden Haven High School teacher Kayla White is a proud Birpai woman who has been working hard to ensure all her students remain connected throughout the challenging year.

Mrs White teaches face to face and distance education classes and said a lot of her students have felt isolated due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mrs White said Aboriginal people have found the lockdown periods challenging.

"That's not something we're used to, as we're very family and community orientated," she said.

However she's proud of her students "for taking the challenges in their stride".

"It's opened their mindsets to taking on particular challenges and learning from them.

"It's good to see that growth in the students, in pushing themselves to think outside the box."

Mrs White has six children herself and had to juggle her work and family commitments during the coronavirus pandemic.

Her children were able to attend preschool and primary school during lockdown, to allow Mrs White to focus on teaching.

"I'm extremely grateful to my kids' school for giving me the opportunity to do my job to the best of my ability," she said.

"Thank you is not a strong enough word to give value to our hardworking teachers."

Mrs White said being a teacher is really rewarding and she hopes to see more people choosing to take on the career in the future.

Rach Cullen loves to read letters from her students whenever she has a hard day.

"They are some of my most treasured items, as a thank you from a student is so rewarding," she said.

Mrs Cullen is a Year 3 and Year 4 teacher at St Peter's Primary School in Port Macquarie.

"It's a job where the environment is different everyday," she said.

Mrs Cullen described the past two years as the most challenging in her 14 years of teaching experience, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"I was worrying about the childrens' welfare, wellbeing and how they were feeling throughout.

However Mrs Cullen said the children have proven themselves to be extremely resilient in light of the challenges.

"They had to use Zoom technology, Google classroom and a lot of technology to produce their work," she said.

"They've handled it so well."

Mrs Cullen said it's been lovely to have her students back in the classroom, given teaching is such a social and interpersonal profession.

She thanked the parents of students for their dedication to education throughout the lockdown periods.

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