Yesterday, she met her first class on the first day of school at Pohakea Elementary.

In the days and nights leading up to this first day of school, Street spent plenty of time worrying about things like remembering names, introducing herself properly to the class and making a good first impression.

Early yesterday, the pressure was on.

"I expect to be really, really nervous," the 24-year-old said. "I've almost broken down twice already."

Street, a second-grade teacher at Pohakea, was one of thousands of students and teachers at 27 public schools in Hawai'i who returned to school yesterday. She is also among 1,500 newly hired public school teachers this year.

She graduated last year from the University of San Diego with a diversified liberal arts degree, then spent one semester as a student teacher and one semester as a long-term substitute in California before coming to Hawai'i.

"Most of our new hires are people who just graduated from college," said Greg Knudsen, spokes-man for the state Department of Education.

After a few hectic days of settling into her new home, Street had thrown herself into preparing for her teaching job.

"She showed conscientiousness in the way that she would come to school even before she was required to," principal Beverley Tasato said. "So she's coming across really well."

Street arrived at her classroom, Room A-10, at 7 a.m. sharp. She carried a black USD messenger bag, a binder and a cup of coffee from 7-Eleven that she never got around to drinking.

She wore a fresh, yellow hibiscus-print sleeveless dress and pearl earrings, a contrast to the gray sweatshorts, blue T-shirt and slippers she'd worn Friday. That day, she spent more than 12 hours at school, starting with a workshop at 7:40 a.m. and setting up her classroom until 8 p.m.

"I don't want to just do the job halfway, because I think that it's important for the kids to walk into a classroom that's all organized, bright and colorful," Street said Friday. She came back Saturday to finish the job.

When Street opened the door to her class yesterday, she flicked on the lights to a room filled with dozens of picture books and decorated with colorful posters.

She had decided to treat her students to free erasers, bookmarks and nametags. In the minutes before class started, she neatly placed the items on each student's desk, and spoke of how she looked forward to meeting the kids.

"I figure today will be their best behavioral day because they'll be a little nervous," Street said. "I'm not expecting anything outrageous today. Knock on wood."

Among the lessons Jennifer Street's students learned yesterday was how to "freeze" on command, a focusing technique. Photos by Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Too well-behaved?

By 7:25 a.m., Street's students and their parents began coming into class. Each child walked in slowly, seeming hesitant, and carried a bag of school supplies.

"Good morning. What's your name?" Street asked gently, over and over again.

Most of the children responded in a whisper.

Shaye Nelson, 7, walked in with her mother, Michaelle, and a red apple.

"Oh, thank you!" said Street.

Shaye said the apple was to welcome her new teacher "and because it's my first day of second grade."

When the first bell rang at 7:45 a.m., parents said their goodbyes. The children quietly sat at their desks.

"Good morning, boys and girls," Street said, smiling broadly.

"Good morning, Miss Street," the kids responded in unison.

Street took attendance — 15 of her 17 students were present — and then the students recited the "Pledge of Allegiance." The teacher went over some school rules, read stories out loud and had students do "getting along together" activities. The students remained quiet and well-behaved.

At 9:45, Street walked her kids down to the recess field and returned to her class to prepare for the rest of the afternoon.

"They're so quiet," she said in amazement.

She walked past the classroom of Allyson Doherty, another second-grade teacher who was standing by her door.

"Are your kids real quiet?" Street asked Doherty.

"Today they'll be angels," Doherty said jokingly, and laughed. "Tomorrow they'll show their true colors."

A problem pops up

After recess, as Street continued with more getting-along activities, the first problem popped up.

One of her students sawed away at his pencil with a sharpener, distracting the class with the noise. Street asked him to stop, and asked again, but it took several tries before the student put the sharpener away.

At lunch, the same boy caused another incident, trying to take away a ruler Street had confiscated from him earlier.

Street, 20 minutes late for lunch, joined the other teachers at the teachers' lounge. She ate a chocolate power bar as she asked questions about things like handling homework and walking students to the cafeteria for lunch.

Doherty, a second-year teacher, said she understood what Street was going through.

"You'll learn from every mistake you make this year," Doherty told Street.

After the break, the students wrapped up the afternoon with writing and math assessment activities. At 2 p.m., they lined up neatly at the door.

"Boys and girls, I had a great day," Street said. "I hope you had a great day too. I'll see you tomorrow."

The children left class in an orderly fashion. Some, including 7-year-old Dasia Garcia, gave Street a hug.

"She's a nice teacher and she teaches good," Dasia said.

At the end of the day, Street sat at her desk — the only time she was off her feet except at lunch — and reflected on her students and her first day.

"There's quite a few in here that I'm just so excited they're in my class, because they are so sweet," she said.

One of her top goals for the day, she said, was to get through a batch of assessment activities that would let her know what she needed to teach individual students in the coming year. She gathered up a stack of writing and math exercises the kids had completed to review at home.

"Now I have faces for all their names, and I have a good visual of where they're at with their academics," Street said. "I'm just really excited for tomorrow."