Why I want to be a teacher.....

Now this is a post of a more personal nature; a few thoughts relating to that all important question 'why do I want to be a teacher?' It's a question that's been posed to me many times since I made the decision to leave the banking and finance sector and try something more to the hearts content.

My experience in the field of education up until this point, is limited to tutoring 'International Finance' in the honours year of my Business Degree four years ago. Still, it was by far the most rewarding job I have ever had. Nothing in my professional career since then has come close in terms of the personal satisfaction I felt each time I left the classroom. I came to realise that what I loved so much about my time tutoring had nothing to do with the content I was teaching; it was so much more than that. I loved helping students reach that 'breakthrough' point in coming to understand material they initially found difficult; I loved the responsibility of playing an active role in a students overall success in the subject; and I loved the human element involved in teaching, having to relate and be reactive to different students and their varying needs.

I think purpose in one's life is something that reveals itself along the way; not something that is clear from the start. I never really knew exactly what it was I wanted to be. I decided upon a Business degree initially because it had a broad range of career prospects. I was swept away by university life and though did really well academically and even graduated top of the class, never really stopped to think about the direction I was taking. I would say that my experience tutoring planted a seed so to speak, a seed that has now blossomed into a vision for what I want out of life. During my time working at the bank I often felt useless because the work I was doing didn't mean anything significant to me. More importantly, I felt as though what I was doing didn't really mean much to anyone else. I drew much inspiration when contemplating a career change into education from a book I love, Tuesdays with Morrie. My favourite quote goes as follows:

'So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning in your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you , and to devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.'

I view teachers as being the pillars of our society. On their shoulders rests the responsibility of teaching children knowledge and values they will use throughout their lives. They set the foundation on which our society is built. The role they play in building towards a brighter future is something I want to be part of because it's hard to be a bystander when you consider the state of the world in which we live:

The Stats
(http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats)

- There are 6.7 billion people alive in the world
-Almost half the world, over 3 billion people, live in poverty; live on less than $2.50 a day.
-25,000 children die each day due to poverty.
-Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names
-72 million children of primary school age in the developing world were not in school in 2005

As a teacher I hope to be part of the solution. As Malcom X said 'Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.'