With nine siblings, a teacher for a mother, and a very family and child-orientated church, I have been surrounded by young children and teaching my whole life.  From the time I was tiny I was taught how to care for and teach younger children.  Looking to my mum as an example I took a keen interest in teaching and helping others learn.  I would make my younger brothers be my pupils and I would produce lessons and worksheets for them.  I remember getting such satisfaction from teaching them shapes, colours, letters or numbers which they hadn’t discovered yet.  At any opportunity I could I was pretending to be a teacher.

I have had the desire to apply for teaching at university my whole life, except for six months in my fourth year of school.  I was considering other options that I had not yet thought about or ever considered.  Moving away from teaching and looking at other options is actually what solidified my desire to go into the teaching profession.  The other options just didn’t settle with me and I never felt like it was something I wanted to spend my life doing.  Having considered other paths I decided to turn back to teaching and do work experience within schools to try and help with my decision.  Once I started my week’s placement in Claypotts Castle Primary School I knew that teaching was the course for me.  Personally, I think that there is this certain type of excitement and enthusiasm you will only ever find in a primary school;  and I love that.  Going into schools has always made me incredibly happy, it didn’t matter which school, class or teacher I was working with.  I know that choosing a career which you enjoy is vital so it only made sense that I would pursue teaching when it made me so happy.

I also had the desire to go into teaching because of the sense of accomplishment it fills you with.  In my time in schools I have worked with classes, groups and individuals.  I have been involved in Maths, English, Topic, PE and Art.  I have helped with Learning Support and ICT.  I have enjoyed all aspects of the school life and have been happy to try my hand at anything.  But nothing has ever made me happier than helping children learn and understand.  The moment when it clicks for a child, the light bulb goes on and they ‘get it’; that is the reason I have gone into teaching. That is my why.  I want to help children to learn and to grow.  I want to help children to understand.  I want to be the one there for their ‘light bulb’ moment.