Students weren?t the only ones with first-day jitters on Thursday.

Nataly Farias says she is excited and nervous to begin her teaching career at Ivy Hill Elementary School. The second-grade teacher, who grew up in Paterson, just graduated from Montclair State University. She says she is anxious to teach and to lead in her classroom.

?In my education, I saw a lot of teachers that were only doing it for a paycheck,? Farias said. ?They didn?t have passion. And I have a passion and I love children.?

Farias says she always wanted to teach in the city because it is where she feels she would have the most impact.

Meanwhile, Ivy Hill had a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday with Newark Mayor Cory Booker. The school was a middle school through last year, but has been converted to kindergarten to sixth grades.

For an extended interview with Farias on her first day, go to channel 612 on your iO digital cable box and select iO extra.