Teaching? If you had asked me about becoming a teacher 5 years ago, I would have laughed. I had my heart set on becoming a lawyer, but then I realised…

I started helping out at my local Rainbow Guiding unit, where I would be around 5 year olds for an hour every week. I would spend my time outwith school scouring through Pinterest for new ideas meeting the themes the rainbows were learning about that week. Whilst in Rainbows I would be helping these children to read and write. I would also inspire them to draw and crete. This inspired me, it made me realise that I wanted to encourage, I wanted to inspire and most of all, I wanted to teach.

After I left school, I decided to go to college to ensure this career choice was the one for me. I knew it would be hard work, but taking that year out gave me an insight into the course, the career and how to work with children of all different ages.

I was unsure to begin with, when I was put into a private nursery setting. The first day I left with sick and pee on me, and I did not think it was right, but then I realised it was only two year olds and I wasn’t looking to work with two year olds.

After the private nursery, I went into a local authority nursery. This was fantastic. I adored the children, I didn’t feel like going in was a task or a chore, I knew I would enjoy every day I was there, and I did. I also got to do a lot more,  I got to do more complex crafts and activities which was great fun. We made little caterpillars as one of the crafts which linked in with the theme the nursery had at the time, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”.  This was then followed with a tasting session of all the different fruit mentioned in the story. It was fascinating to see the types fruit a lot of the children hadn’t tried before, and the fruit that loads of the children later asked their parents to buy for them after nursery. I found both these ideas again on Pinterest, which has been my key tool throughout childcare.

My favourite placement had to be my primary school one. I got to go to a Primary 1 class, Primary 3 and Primary 6, and I must say, Primary 6 was my favourite. I loved the cheek and the jokes, but also how the children could read more complex novels and do more complex subjects. Nothing had to be simplified but things did have to be taught well. I got to take groups to teach politics and to do reading and maths. It was fantastic.

At the end of the day, I know I want to teach, I have had experiences which have reminded me how much I want to teach, but I also want to learn. The teaching profession allows me to learn something new everyday, big or small. I want to be able to learn and teach what I have just learned in order to shape our future graduates.