Last month, it was fantastic to read about the finalists of the Global Teacher Prize. What a wonderful set of individuals doing amazing things around the world! It also shows how varied the job of a teacher can be, and how you can make your approach, lessons and style your own.
Yes, I'm a teacher, but my job is much more than the title suggests. I'm a producer of professionals, and can't wait to see what the young people I teach will go on to do in the world, and how they might go on to change it. As a science teacher, I'm also an expert experimenter and particle mixer - my lessons are practical and we learn through doing. Often, I feel like a champion of the curious - my students ask numerous questions, which shows me they are interested and engaged. It's incredibly rewarding to be able to work with them to find the answers to the questions they pose.
As a higher education student or graduate, it can be difficult to decide the career you want to pursue. My advice to those who have thought about becoming a teacher would be to ditch the doubts and do it. If the thought of inspiring young people and helping to educate the next generation appeals to you, then it sounds like you would love teaching. On the flipside, being a teacher might be something you haven't seriously considered until now. If that's the case, then you might be surprised by what you find. I know I make a difference as a teacher. You could make a difference too and get £25K tax-free to train.
The training and financial support available can help to make teaching a really appealing next step for students and graduates. It's also a career with fantastic opportunities for progression for those who aspire to be leading teams and organisations to flourish. All schools need good leaders and teaching provides clear progression routes to get there. You can find out more by visiting the Get Into Teaching website.
You can make teaching what you want it to be. It may be your love for a particular subject that will make you a good teacher, it may be the buzz you get from helping multiple pupils to learn, or it may be that you are interested in leading a team to success. That's what's unique about the profession - the word teacher doesn't just have one meaning. It's the same when it comes to how students view teachers - some teachers they will associate with their interest in a certain subject, some they will look up to for guidance, and some they will want to impress and make them proud. The variety definitely keeps this job interesting and fresh, and that's why I, like many others, enjoy going to work each morning.