If I had a penny for every time people have asked WHY TEACH? I probably wouldn’t need to.
So why, AM I going to teach?
Because I want to give it a try! My mum often jokes about the fact that I attempted to teach my younger sister her six times tables before she could actually walk…I always reply defensively that every one of my teddy bears had already mastered their nine times tables…duh!
My educational aspirations took on a more serious note, when, in my third year of University I had the opportunity to go and live in France. As others packed their bikinis and headed off for a year in a sunny southern University, I packed up my red pens and flash cards and spent 9 months teaching English in a rural French town on the Swiss border. Despite freezing winter nights, a complete lack of transport or communication and a challenging language barrier I could not have enjoyed my job more.
I thrived off the atmosphere of mutual learning, as I taught them how to introduce themselves, they would correct me on my use of the conditional tense. The progress we made over the course of the year was so fulfilling, I had never been more proud.
On returning to University I was faced with a stack of emails, leaflets and brochures all offering attractive graduate schemes with very attractive salaries…publishing, advertising, management. I knew, however, that mind had been made, I had to teach. Or, I had to try.
And try I will.
I want to use this blog to record the mistakes, the tears and the accomplishments so that I can look back and see what went well, what went terribly and what I really should never do again!
Bonjour Mademoiselle 