Probably like many other people, there are a number of reasons why I decided to do teaching. I remember wanting to become a teacher from a young age, although at this age it was mainly due to my admiration of my own primary teachers and the respect I had for them. As I got older, this aspiration grew.

When I was 14 I started to volunteer at the weekly children’s club at my Church (for children aged between Primary 1 and Primary 3). I really enjoyed volunteering there, I loved getting to know the kids and seeing their personalities develop from being shy little 4 year olds to energetic 7 year olds. I was amazed at the enthusiasm the children had and how eager they were to listen and to learn. Over time as my confidence developed I started to teach the children Bible stories up at the front and lead games, helping me gain some insights into what life would be like as a teacher.

It was because of my time at the children’s club at my Church that I decided to go to a local Primary school for my work experience when I was in Year 13 (I would have been 16 years old). I was only on the placement for three days, but by the end of these three days I was more determined than ever to become a teacher. From the first day I saw the respect the children had for their teacher, and the influence that she had over them. Every day I was amused by the random, yet funny stories the children would come in and tell me and I really felt like every day was different. I really liked getting to lead reading groups in the class and going round assisting those who needed extra help. One highlight from it was the sense of achievement I felt when one girl was struggling with alphabetical order. I told her to cover up the last part of the word with her hands and only look at the first letters, or second letters, and so on. She caught on to this technique really quickly and the next day when the class were doing alphabetical order tasks again, I saw the same girl and even some of her friends using the method that I had taught her to do the work. I was thrilled at the fact that I had been able to help a struggling pupil understand a topic that she didn’t before and so I knew that I wanted to choose a career where I had the privilege to teach children things that they will use for the rest of their life. I remember at the end of my work experience the teacher I was shadowing said to me, “I’ve been doing this for 30 years now and I still think it is the best job in the world.” And that comment has stayed with me ever since and inspired me even more to become a teacher.

Another reason why I wanted to do teaching was because in my final year of High School (Year 14), I had the absolute pleasure of being a ‘buddy’ to Year 8 pupils. I got to see a more pastoral side of teaching, as I went into their class every morning, got to chat and joke around with them, but also be there for them if they were having any problems. I really liked my time as a buddy, no day was ever the same and no moment was ever boring.

Reflecting on what I have just talked about, my next question is; what kind of teacher do I want to become?

I want to be a teacher who is a role model for her class. I want to be an enthusiastic teacher who loves her job, just like the teacher I shadowed on my work experience. I want to be well respected but also some one the kids know they can trust and tell their problems to. I want to be knowledgeable and patient, caring and kind, hard-working and focused. Most importantly though, I want to be a teacher that doesn’t just teach the class the curriculum subjects like geography etc., I want to help them develop positive characteristics that they will need in life like team work, open-mindedness, tolerance. I want to inspire my class to be the best that they can and to get the best out of them.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at both Primary and Secondary school, and I want to make sure that the classes I teach in the future also have happy experiences at school.

I conclusion, I believe that education is such a privilege to have as it, as the saying goes, ‘opens doors’ for opportunities and jobs and so I am so eager to help the future generations get an education so that they can get the most out of their lives.