Becoming a primary teacher has always been in the back of my mind from the age of 4 when I began primary school myself. Looking back on it now I must have bored my friends and little brother to tears constantly wanting to play teacher and pupils – my favourite and preferred role being the teacher.

Despite enjoying this game it is surprisingly not the main reason why I wanted to qualify in this profession. Ever since I left primary school I’ve had various experiences working with children including volunteering at Rainbows, helping out at local primary schools and working at a kids club and nursery. All of the above have led to me being 100% certain that this is the career for me. As a teacher you can impart knowledge and experiences which allow children to make a better future for themselves. I genuinely can’t think of anything more worthwhile and fulfilling than being able to help children develop and learn skills that they will use for the rest of their lives.

Despite knowing that I wanted to become a teacher I still questioned whether I had all the attributes and skills that were required for the job. I know it may be a more stereotypical skill that teachers are deemed to need but being organised is a key part of the job and for me it is a part of my everyday life. I love being organised – put me in a ‘Paperchase’ store and I’m in heaven.

Another essential part of teaching is being punctual and reliable. The idea of these two positive traits were drilled into me from a young age – having a mum as a secondary teacher meant I knew the importance of them and the consequences of not fulfilling them. I did give into my friends a couple of times during sixth year though.  I will never forget that overwhelming feeling of guilt skipping class to go for a McDonalds or to go get our nails done before the senior dance. Never again! I didn’t get any enjoyment out of it because I knew I was doing wrong. It was a mistake and I take full responsibility for making the wrong decision. We grow up being told that we learn from our mistakes and it’s true. I don’t want to be a teacher to prevent children from making mistakes because they are a part of life. Teaching isn’t about that. Teaching is about making children recognise where they have struggled and then assisting them to get back on their feet with a better understanding and appreciation for the mistakes they have made. We learn by mistakes, life is full of mistakes.

Take being late for school. Punctuality isn’t something that everyone is excellent at. Applying it to a teaching environment I imagine a child being consistently late to school. To punish them for this without ever explaining why it is wrong is not an effective way to help the child learn. Saying “Because I say so” is very unlikely to stop them from doing it. It will not resolve the problem but applying a bit of life experience and explanation to why being late is wrong is a better action to take. This is the kind of teacher that I aspire to be. I want to be able to teach children and help them develop and learn by leading them to do what is right and being a role model. If I wanted to simply tell someone that they were doing wrong without explanation or suggestion on how they can develop to do better then I can’t imagine that teaching would be the profession I am so passionate about. I want to be a teacher. I want to teach. I don’t want to be a person with authority who dictates right from wrong. We live in a world now where we are more politically correct and there’s more equality and moral justice. I want to teach children not only in a way that teaches skills like literacy, maths and science but also in a way that provides skills for life and the best way to grow up in the 21st century.

When people ask the infamous question “Why do you want to be a teacher” the first thing that pops into my head is how much I enjoy working with children and I know that seems generic but it is true. I wish I could give you a more complex answer but passion is the deciding factor for me. The thought of becoming a teacher excites me, it honestly is as simple as that.