Teaching

If you think about school, is there that one teacher who stands out above all others? That one person who is your favourite and who really inspired you? Why? I’ve been mulling this question over recently, because I’ve decided that I want to become a teacher. Teaching is so rewarding and it provides so many opportunities. You get to inspire future generations – what could be better?

I’m currently helping out in two schools – a primary and a secondary school – and I’m actually really enjoying it. Some days are challenging and I ask myself why I am doing it, but then one of my students will answer a question or be interested in my lesson and suddenly everything becomes worthwhile because you know you are helping someone to learn.

Teaching is so exciting! I get to plan my own lessons and make them as fun or as serious as I like and with the internet and your own imagination, you are never short of resources. You can create one lesson plan and then tailor it to suit each of the ages that you teach. Lessons are never boring because you always have a backup plan – sometimes my classes don’t go according to plan, so I switch the way I teach and do something that I know my students will enjoy. One of my favourite games is charades – it works with almost anything and any age and you can get your students to teach each other!

I also love the fact that I teach English in everything, besides the subject ‘English’. I teach biology, geography, history, technology, social sciences and music ... all in English! It’s such fun, as I always have to plan that particular subject and so every day is different. I get to study English literature, which is my passion, and pass on my knowledge and enthusiasm to my students, and I get to teach a huge variety of classes and age groups.

I’ve found that each student learns differently, so you have to try and cater for everybody by including a variety of tasks and exercises as well as interesting multimedia, like videos and games. The best classes are when I give the students a topic to discuss – usually one which they feel very passionate about – and let them have their say. This was particularly fun in the run up to the American elections or on International Women’s Day!

I’m excited to get started on my teacher training and to start planning more lessons!