People who do things | #4 School Teacher

We've all had that one teacher that we will remember forever, they've inspired you to take up a career, they listened to you when you went to them with personal issues or they were just a ruddy good teacher! and today on People Who Do Things we have another fantastic teacher, Emily, a reception teacher....

It wouldn't be an Interview about being a teacher if I didn't start it off by asking how many times have you been called Mummy? Loads! On average I'd probably say 2-3 times a week. I also get Daddy a bit which is slightly strange!

Daddy?! How funny, they must be very tired. When did you know that you wanted to be a school teacher and did you have a fantastic teacher at school that inspired you? I didn't actually realise how much I wanted to be a teacher until I started teaching. I sort of fell into teaching after university based on my past work experiences and interests but didn't think I wanted this to be my career. I thought a PGCE would be useful for doing other things, which I still might pursue in the future, but for now I'm loving it. I was very lucky to have a lot of great teachers at school that gave me a really strong education but I don't really feel like it was one stand out teacher that inspired me.

What education did you do to get your role? I think this varies greatly from person to person but I needed a university degree. After that I got my PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) but went through a route that meant I taught full-time in a school whilst doing my qualifications and going to University and writing essays. After that year I was fully qualified.

At the moment you're teaching reception would you ever consider a different age group, or even at a college/university, or do you like having the responsibility of starting a child's education? I really do like teaching Reception. I think different people are suited to different age groups and I feel I've found my niche in Reception. It's a real honour to start a child's education and seeing the progress they make over the year is amazing. I think  Reception is largely taught well in the UK, the kids learn through play which I strongly agree with. In other year groups kids are expected to be sitting down at desks all day writing and that's something I struggle with. I really don't think I'm cut out for secondary school teaching and those kids (they're too tall!!). I have taught adults in the past and do quite enjoy that, but no, for the moment anyway, definitely Reception!

Of course teachers never have a favourite but who's your favourite? No, I'm kidding! But there must be a few children who stand out, be that for their personality or intelligence have you taught any children who you can just tell are going to go far in life? I think any teacher who says there aren't children who they really enjoy working with, are lying. Teachers are humans. We just need to ensure we treat all kids fairly and give all children the same attention irrespective of who we are naturally drawn to. I've taught some really amazing children who have an aptitude for hugely varied things; whether that be great artists, children who can see mathematical patterns in an instant or individuals who are just really great friends. There is one boy who was exceptional across the board that I'll definitely be looking out for in the future.

What's the biggest misconception about your job? That we leave at 3:30pm and get loads of holidays. Don't get me wrong, we do get a lot of holidays and far more than any other profession, but they are very much needed and well deserved! A lot of teachers also do extra work in the holidays, whether that be things for their class (I spent half-term writing reports) or doing other paid jobs because they need the money. We also certainly don't leave at 3:30pm and there is always work to do at home.

What's the most rewarding part of your job? For me it's definitely seeing the progress that the children make. They come to me not being able to read of write and now they're reading books and writing stories - it is just incredible. They come not being able to listen and finding it hard to share and now they're independently solving problems and joining in brilliantly.

What advice do you have for others considering this as their profession? You've got to love what you're doing in order to stay sane! It's a hard job but the benefits are huge. It's brilliant fun and the kids, colleagues and parents you meet along the way will make you smile every single day. I would say give it a go and see what you think!  Try and get some work experience but make sure you see different schools and different age groups. Everyone is suited to different things and you might be surprised at which year group you choose to work with.  Also if you don't think teaching is for you just visit a couple more schools because every school has a different ethos which has a huge impact on how you teach and how the children learn.

What would you be doing if you weren't a teacher? I'm really not sure! I think if there's something else I wanted to be doing then I'd probably be doing it. I might have stayed in education for a bit longer and done a Masters but that would probably have just delayed me going into the classroom.

And finally the question we all want to know the answer of, what are the perks of your job? As mentioned about the holidays are great they're not all they're set out to be. To be honest there aren't that many great perks, it's not like in the corporate world where get taken out to lunches and sponsors give you freebies. What you do get is the chance to see the children's progress and knowing you've done that. The kids and their parents are also often grateful and I've received some lovely cards and feedback. They can be very generous with gifts at Christmas and the end of the year. Definitely don't get into teaching for the perks as they can seem few and far between but you do get watch 30 minds grow over the year and get to shape them, their views and their education.

A massive thank you to Emily for taking the time to share her job as a teacher, I hope you found this interesting and keep tuned for a lot more interviews, I shall be posting a new 'people who do things' every other Sunday, So your next one will be up on Sunday 26th August!


If you're in a job that you love make sure to DM me on Instagram @greatestformofflatteryblog and I can feature you!

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