Knowledge is power, and more and more people are keen to pass what they know onto the next generation and are entering the world of teaching. Teaching has always been a calling for many people and now that careers are getting longer and shifting societal expectations, an increasing number of people are getting into teaching later in life so that they can give back to the community that has given them so much.
Moving Into Teaching
Charities like NowTeach, established by Lucy Kellaway from the Financial Times help people who have previously been high flyers in the worlds of business, government or the media to retrain as teachers and get into the classroom.
Kellaway is one of an increasing number of people who believe that the life experience that many older people have is just as valuable as the energy and enthusiasm that people in their twenties can bring into the classroom.
“If you’re willing to throw yourself into doing the very best for the kids that you teach, then you’re already very close to be an inspiring teacher for generations of kids.”
Questions To Consider
If you’re considering joining the hundreds of thousands of people in the UK who teach, there are several questions that you should consider before you make the leap.
Firstly, make sure that you enjoy working with children. A surprising number of people get into the classroom and discover that working with kids, particularly rowdy and disruptive ones, simply isn’t for them.
You’ll need bags of patience, energy and forgiveness to be a good teacher and if these aren’t natural parts of your personality it’s probably better to do something else rather than attempting to develop them.
Secondly, make sure that you’re willing to give your all to the classroom. Teaching is a vocation, not just a career and the very best teachers tend to find that it dominates their lives.
