The Question: Why do you want to be a teacher?

thesecretforme

When asked this question: Why do you want to be a teacher?, how is the best way to answer without coming off phoney and over the top?

gaeilgegrinds

Some of the most influential people in my life were my teachers, for varying reasons. I feel I have a lot to give and impart, both knowledge based and values and would appreciate the change to fulfill my dream of passing this on.

Mr. Presentable

Job security, a reasonable wage, great holidays, respect in the community and the possibility to get into politics and still keep my salary.

garbanzo

They used to say there were three good reasons to become a secondary school Teacher . . . June, July and August !

Hard to argue with as we head into the summer facing further pay cuts and job insecurity here in private sector world !

gaeilgegrinds

Losing 8 teachers in our school, no job security this year to be honest. It's scary how the vibe in our school has changed so dramatically. With a moratorium in place, one loses there job now and they have very little hope. Fingers crossed.

spurious

I am a teacher to try and lessen the number of ignorant, ill-informed opinions in the world.
Some of the responses on this thread show me my work is not yet done.

Powerhouse

garbanzo wrote: »

They used to say there were three good reasons to become a secondary school Teacher . . . June, July and August !

Hard to argue with as we head into the summer facing further pay cuts and job insecurity here in private sector world !

This doesn't make sense. You say that the three good reasons to be a teacher are three months off and say it's hard to argue with that. But with your job insecuriity in the private sector you have the possibility of an entire 12 months off - you lucky thing!

TheDriver

Its a cool job, every day is different, Job security was not something any of us thought of when I started, quite the opposite in fact as most said I was mad to leave private sector to go teaching. I must say I love the cynics on the thread, no one wanted our jobs years ago and now feel hard done by.

Toto Wolfcastle

I think that this thread could be very interesting if it stays on topic and doesn't turn into a private sector vs teachers thread. (Hint hint: Stay on topic!)

I don't really remember how I answered that question in my interview, although I remember in the interview for my dip I said something about how I had a rubbish Irish teacher and wanted to teach Irish properly. Don't say that.

Dionysus

I just said that I loved the sense of achievement I felt every day from teaching. I just loved watching somebody who had less or little confidence emerge slowly but assuredly with confidence and self-esteem. How that process touched every aspect of their lives and how it was much more than the subject which I taught to them. I was very conscious of that. They were being freed from previous inhibitions with every day in school, and I felt that and that brought me a satisfaction I had little previous knowledge of. I felt good, and I wanted to be a teacher because I wanted that feeling of success and fulfilment on more days of my life.


Teaching is a very spiritual thing, and a deeply satisfying vocation.