What made you want to teach?

[fedup21]

And does whatever that reason was, still exist?

I think I decided I wanted to teach when I was very little in the early 80s when I was still at infant school. I loved everything about my school which probably helped, but the structure (I thought) was great.

Every morning, we did maths cards (they must have hand written thousands of them!) which we worked through at our own pace-asking for help if we were stuck. The teacher would be at the front and helped any children who needed it. After play, we would do handwriting one day, spellings another day, then story writing, grammar and comprehension. All through textbooks or workcards at our own level.

In the afternoons, we did topic work, DT painting, sewing, PE and computers (well, 1 computer!).

It was a happy environment, we enjoyed school and did well-any children who needed a bit of extra help went off with Mrs X (who was actually a teacher!) for some slots during the morning as well. I just remember thinking that’s where I wanted to work.

In my training year-we still had topic webs and quite a lot of free choice about what to do, levels didn’t really exist in KS1, observations were by peers and were useful and planning could be done on a side of A4 but since then things have changed beyond all recognition and it really is a very different job to when I was at school.

Some things might be better now, but I’d argue that the mental health of children (and staff!) probably isn’t!

Did the literacy/numeracy hour make things better? What about learning walks, lesson ins, mini plenaries, P4C, talking partners, thinking hats, Bloom’s taxonomy, Mantle of the Expert, 3/5/7 part lessons, green pen, purple pen, APP, levels, removing levels, a side of A4 per lesson of planning and endless book trawls and pupil progress meetings.

Is the end result (the children’s learning) worth the massive amount of time that is spent now doing all of these things.

Is it that much better?

Sorry, that’s a bit maudlin really-I think I have really had enough now.

I was motivated by love of my subject and also a desire to do something that matters.

I have always not been into office routines and have a rebellious streak : if I thought something was wrong, I would say so!(teachers must have loved me!) I wanted to fight for the underdog and wanted to support young people. I thought I would work in a tough school but three days in an deprived city school in the 90s broke my will there!

Many years later and I still love my subject but am afraid teaching is now a job for the biddable, tractable and obedient. I wanted originally to be a headteacher.

If I taught anyone with fire in their belly who liked to debate, argue and represent the voices of the unheard, I'd sadly tell them not to teach...

It was quite a calculated decision for me. After graduation I was looking for a way to use my English degree. Teaching ticked a lot of boxes, especially in terms of career progression, variety, opportunities and using my subject knowledge. I enjoyed the academic side.

Further down the line I leaned more towards pastoral care and particularly alternative provision. I left 4 years ago when I had DS. The job had changed beyond recognition. Effective administrators replaced the creative mavericks and it all became about accountability and evidence.

My secondary school music teachers, husband and wife team, were amazing. I was in all the choirs, orchestras, wind bands, recorder ensembles -everything. I loved it! He was very irreverent and passionate about music. I loved them both. Their passion for music (and that of a lot of other music teachers along the way) started me off on this journey.

Bless him he passed away a few years ago. He would have hated what teaching is now.

The holidays.
I wanted a job that I could do part time and that would fit around children. It also made use of my English degree.

Also a sense that was (hopefully) doing something useful.

A job that was interesting, engaging, different each day.
A love of working with children.
Knowing I was doing something that would make a difference.
Not wanting to spend my life doing something 'boring'.

I was in a job that troubled me ethically and teaching seemed to be a job that was on the side of social good.

I still think it is possible to have a positive impact on the lives of children through teaching so it still holds for me.

Also, working in an office was unbearably dull at times and teaching is never dull. I don’t think I could go back to a desk job.

When I started teaching I had zero experience of working with children, no school experience (I was told to do 1 day before interview) and no real idea of what was involved but I have since discovered that working with young people is fab - they are funny, interesting and endlessly surprising. That keeps me going.

I went to teaching because I failed the third A'level, I've got another one now. Also because I didn't really enjoy school when I was a pupil so I had great plans of making a difference, I don't think I really have! But I am still at it after 34 years and actually I think it has got easier that might be down to experience or that our school has turned that corner from dreading Ofsted and SLT really trying to improve work/life balance. Six years to retirement yaay.

I went into teaching because I was young and naive and wanted to do good. I had been working in community development and though that schools could be key to turning communities around.
I do it for completely different reasons now. It fits in with my family, I use my brain everyday, it’s convenient, I care about it.
Mostly, day-to-day, the enjoyment of getting to know all these fantastic young people is what keeps my happy being a teacher. I really do love the kids. Even the ones who are a real pain in the bum, deep down I’m very fond of all of them. I find I’m not so patient with adults so the environment suits me.

My mother decided I should do it (she was a teacher).
According to her I was too clever to be a librarian, joining the Navy was a ridiculous idea and girls didn't do forensic science (my career choices).

Thirty odd years later I hate what the job has become and am glad I can retire soon.