Throughout my teenage years growing up in school, I was always unaware and unsure of the career path that I desired to follow.  Despite this, I always knew I had a keen interest and passion when it came to working alongside children.  A career in teaching was always a thought at the back of my mind, despite being from Northern Ireland where there are limited primary teaching jobs available. Although many people had my best interests in mind, they would always try to put me off the idea and guide me to a career with more employment opportunities at home.

Regardless of everyone’s doubts surrounding me pursuing a career in teaching, I knew it was the correct path to follow as soon as I began to volunteer for ChildLine.  As I was a switchboard volunteer, my main role involved being the first point of contact and a voice of comfort and reassurance for children in distress or despair. I began to volunteer for ChildLine in May 2017 and continued right up until I moved away for university.  I can honestly say it was one of the most valuable and worthwhile experiences that really helped me to gain key knowledge and insight into a child’s mindset and some of the issues they may face daily, both at home and in the school environment.

One of the main reasons why ChildLine enhanced my passion to become a teacher relates to the volume of calls indicating the importance of school being a safe and comforting place for many children to thrive.  This especially inspired me to embark on the journey of becoming a teacher as I gained an in-depth perspective into the crucial need for children to be treated equally and supported whilst in the school environment.  I hope that in the future my experiences and the passion that has flourished from my work with children can aid me to succeed in my journey of becoming a primary school teacher.  I aspire to be a teacher who can help to motivate, inspire and hopefully become a lasting role-model for many children.