Gone are the days of black boards, dictation and the rote-learning of timetables.

As students across the Riverina begin school, Lutheran Primary School year six students will be taught as a cohort rather than in two separate classes.

Teachers Helen Whatmuff and Trish Treston have 36 years of teaching experience between them.

Teaching has changed tremendously since they began.

Today they embark on a new chapter.

Over the holidays, Mrs Whatmuff and Mrs Treston painted bright green and blue features walls in their classroom.

Gone is allocated seating, in place of a rectangular teachers desk in a bright green former news desk.

The name of the class is different too - no longer 6W or 6T, students will be classmates of Team Six.

"The teaching will be a collaborative effort," Mrs Treston said.

School principal Ken Albinger said it was a new era of teaching.

"(The teachers) have gone to a tremendous effort to create a year six learning experience for students with very original ideas," Mr Albinger said.

The Lutheran Primary School students begin classes today.