What do I like about being an English teacher?
материал по английскому языку на тему

What do I like about being an English teacher?

                Never say that You don’t like the job before you try it.

Unfortunately mentality of our country and existing situation of job market doesn’t  give an opportunity for young people to try themselves in different positions before they do the final career choice. Usually we consider a good employee (doctor, engineer or teacher) only when this person started his career right after the University and continued to perfect his skills during the whole life without changing his job sphere. There are only few people who decide to change their profession and start the teacher career in the mature age. I am one of those people.

What do I like in this job? Why have I decided to come in this profession?

I graduated from the Saint-Petersburg State University where my major was French. English was my second specialization. Of course I started to search the job immediately after the getting my diploma and the first place that I visited was school. “Too young. No working experience. It is a huge responsibility. It is very stressful. It is very demanding”. All those things did not sound very encouraging. And I decided to try myself in other position.

For five years I have been working as a personal assistant of a General Manager of a big hotel. I had several chiefs and usually they were foreigners: Italian, Austrian, English. Most of the time I have been translating: letters, conference calls, negotiations, conversations. And that was interesting and exciting. And educational too because I always had a possibility to practice my English. I learnt a lot of new things: how to deal with other people, how to present myself, how to overcome difficulties in my work. But more time passed, more I felt like an object. I fully understood the expression “to put your heart and soul” in your work, because I did not do that. I was hardworking, responsible and very dedicated. But I didn’t like what I did. I knew that if I left and some other person with the same knowledge and skills came – nothing would change in the hotel work. After my maternity leave I asked the General Manager to change my position in the company if it was possible. And I was offered a position of Manager of the Informational Center. One of my responsibilities was to educate new employees, to instruct and to prepare them for the work in hotel. Also I went through the training of Tutors in hospitality business. And I felt that I was in the right place. Starting from that day I understood people who say that job for them – it’s a real pleasure and delight. I got a possibility to share my experience, to help inexperienced people to solve problems and achieve their best, to inspire someone personally. I enjoyed sharing my love of learning and my passion for certain topics. And two years later I dared to change my life and to start my career from the very beginning.

And now I would like to tell about positive points of teacher’s job. About those things that old, very experienced and professional teachers should announce to the starter teacher from the first day of their studies. Because none told me them when I was a student.

None told me that the delight of a good and well thought out lesson was incomparable. None told me how encouraging could be the instant feedback from students about my own teaching performance. None told me that the pride for their success would many times overcome the pride for my own success. None told me that I would feel smarter every day that I came home from my job, because teaching is one of those rare professions that keeps your brain young, allowing you to continue your own journey as a student and a lifelong learner.

Now I have a possibility to share the enthusiasm and love for my subject with other people. I like the interaction between teacher and pupils. And of course I adore this strange, unique and breathtaking feeling – to see your children grow over the nine months. I especially love having siblings come up and watching the family grow. It is a real privilege to be part of people’s lives like that. I love listening to their ideas and seeing the way their minds work. I love to see the freshmen develop into young ladies and gentlemen (in theory).

Teaching is a job that encourages your own growth because to do it well requires your own continuous education. Some might say that's a bad thing, but growth is about facing your demons - or just your imps - and dueling yourself for greater knowledge.

I strongly hope, I dare to believe, that one day I would have a right to say that being a teacher – it is a rewarding profession. That my personal example encouraged someone of my pupils and students, made them believe in themselves and helped them to accept the most incredible challenges,  to reach the most audacious goals and to achieve the most high results.