In October we celebrate teachers’ day in Brazil. It is usually when we all declare the passion and pride for our professional choice. We also hope more and more people will join us and make it one of the greatest career options ever. I share this dream with my fellow ELT colleagues. I decided to work in education at a very early age and started teaching as a teenager. The reasons we join the profession vary; so do the reasons why we keep working so enthusiastically. In this post, I’ll be listing some of the opportunities we may seize when embracing the choice of becoming an English language teacher – according to teachers I have worked with. I must confess that some of the reasons are probably true for teachers of all subjects. So, enjoy your choices and opportunities and have a wonderful career.
- Routine is not a must. Although time management is very important to start and finish lessons on time, meet deadlines, plan lessons, correct homework and tests, there will always be unpredictable situations to deal with, new questions to answer and to investigate, new learners to pose challenges… It is virtually impossible to do the same thing every day if we really focus on teaching people – teaching is a box of surprises sometimes, regardless of how much we plan.
- A fulfilling sensation after successful lessons. Witnessing learners’ progress and their gradual success means we are also achieving our goals and that gives us a sense of accomplishment. Admittedly, it is temporary as the next momentous event may take some time. Nevertheless, the feeling is so fulfilling it energises us till the next one.
- It is possible to change the world. We do not build a new world overnight, but we do educate people who can add their brick and contribute to the construction of a different world. Changing someone’s life – e.g. helping them to communicate with people all over the world, improving their knowledge of the world, their critical thinking skills – affects how they are going to relate to the world. Thus, little by little, all the teachers are somehow contributing to change the world. This also adds a perspective of accountability – what is the impact we want to cause with our lessons, and attitudes?
- The school dream of becoming a lifelong learner is possible. As teachers, we are never ready or know enough. It may sound frustrating, but from the perspective of growth, we will never cease to develop and we have the chance to become better every day. The language is alive and it is in constant change, that means our subject matter demands continuous study. Also, the more we vary our knowledge about other areas, the more students we can reach – they have different tastes and preferences. Anything we choose to learn or study may help us perform better.
- There is a permanent excuse for watching films, reading books, travelling… It is sometimes regarded as a curse for English teachers – we never switch off. I prefer to see it as a gift: everything is teaching material. It is the perfect reason for reading all sorts of books, watching different genres of films, listening to a variety of music styles, travelling the world. We don’t have to use it all in teaching, but everything opens up our minds to a number of possibilities that may positively affect our teaching.
- Every teaching opportunity is a learning moment. The reflection during the lessons and after teaching allows us to gather information about our learners, about teaching and learning. The students’ questions may even push us towards learning about the subject matter (e.g. their questions about idioms we have never thought of) or how to better approach teaching points. Therefore, teaching is paradise if we are OK outside our comfort zones and allow ourselves to learn with and from our students.
What other opportunities are there in teaching? I’m looking forward to your comments.
