The reason I teach

Teaching is the best job in the world. Teachers are in a special position in society; they can transform lives! According to Career Addict, it is the 15th most difficult job (amusingly, just behind explosive ordinance disposal specialists) although looking at the rankings of other jobs on that list, I am not sure I would take it too seriously.

As in all jobs, sometimes you can have a bad day. Something can push your buttons; maybe it is a management decision you disagree with, or you have a capable but self-sabotaging student who you just cannot get through to, or some safeguarding issue arises that pushes your emotional buttons. Teachers invest something of themselves in their job. It is not 9-5, teachers do not switch off when they leave the classroom at the end of the day.

Some of my students will spend more time with me each day than they will with their own family. You get to know them. You care about how they progress, how they grow, how they mature, how they develop. That is not something you can switch off.

And then they leave, and a new batch arrives, and the cycle repeats again. Many students wish to give their teachers gifts to show their appreciation, especially in the Summer when they are leaving to go to college or university. We teachers do not expect gift, but the little tokens of appreciation mean a lot. As a teetotal vegan, I cannot count how many mugs I have been bought (ironically, I very rarely drink hot drinks, so they rarely get used). To me, what means more is the little notes of appreciation. The cards and letters. I keep these, and when I’m having a bad day it is good to get them out and flick through them to remind myself that what I am doing is making a difference.

Here are a few (it’s a slideshow)