I think a lot of people starting the primary education course, like me, have wanted to be some sort of teacher from a young age. A lot of the time we played schools with siblings when we were younger and that is what sparked our interest in teaching. I used to be the teacher in my situation – I am the older child, so of course I got to play that role. At times I was a bossy child and enjoyed making my sister do math and then using all sorts of coloured pens to mark her ‘work’ which I had prepared for her to do. However, now that I am in the fortunate position to be studying primary education and am on the pathway to becoming a real teacher, I have learned that there is so much more to the profession than ‘bossing’ people around. In fact, it’s not about that at all really.

Being a teacher is about working together with children, parents and other staff to create a safe and happy learning environment to help shape young minds and help people to grow. Teachers can be more than the person who hands you out homework and teaches you a variety of different subjects to help you in life, but also people who you can confide in, and trust with anything you might need to speak up about. I have witnessed first-hand just how much impact a teacher can have on someone’s life. A close friend of mine decided to get some of her troubles off her chest and confided in a teacher within the school, who has since then helped her to overcome many obstacles and as a result, she is now a stronger person than ever, who has really grown out of her shell and is unafraid to hide her thoughts and feelings which she would keep bottled up inside before.

For me, if I can change one person’s life like I have seen done many times by other teachers (the above being one example) I know that it will have been worth it. All the years I am going to spend working hard at university to become a primary teacher will pay off, and I know I’ll be going into one of the best jobs the world has to offer.