After 2 or 3 years waiting I finally got a job as a teacher in a private school!! I wanted it so much and now that I have this opportunity I am starting to doubt whether I �m going to be fulfilled with it.

 

I was a trainee teacher for one year (it was really tough and in the end I wasn �t sure if I had liked or not... it was too much pressure). Then I started a master in a different area, but I kept working as a private tutor. It seemed somewhat boring, but then it became increasingly exciting and now I can say that I really like it (especially conversation classes for adults)! But what made me reaaaaallyyyy love teaching was a course that I gave to students at the university. It was one of the most rewarding experiences in my life!! I almost cried in the end!

 

However, now that I know that I �m going to teach 11-12 year-old children next year I am afraid of not loving it (I have to feel PASSIONATE about what I �m doing)... I can �t think of working just for the money (that isn �t going to be much... probably) and not feeling completely in love with what I �m doing. I loved teaching the students at the university perhaps because they were my age, their behaviour was ok and they were only there because they wanted to... they were enthusiastic and motivated. I don �t really know what it feels like to teach people that may not be willing to learn...

 

I �d like to know how you feel as teachers (esp. those who are teaching children and teenagers at school, not so much those who are tutors or teach in language schools, where you are free to teach what you want and the way you want).

 

Tell me what teaching means to you! (and if possible where you teach and for how long)... and wish me luck :)

 

To begin with,  I wish you all the luck!:)

I �ve been a teacher for 17 years, mainly 7th to 9th grades, in the north. I gave classes to secondary students in the begining, but lately I �ve been teaching teens, from 11 to 16. It �s quite different because secondary students have  different motivation and goals.

 

The good thing about our job it �s that is always new and never annoying. Teens are really great! They are sensitive and they don �t forget easily a good teacher. It �s very rewarding teaching them.

Hard work, sometimes we (at least I do) feel desperate because they don �t learn, they don �t study or they don �t pay attention in classes, but that is a challenge. They are busy with their "social life", clothes, weight, computer games, whatever... and leave school at the end of their priorities.

 

One of my teen students told me something, a long time ago, that I have never forgotten. " We like you so much because we know that you love being inside the classroom with us and that you care" Caring and loving what you do is (according to my humble opinion) the main thing. Then cientific background. Students don �t respect teachers that don �t know much. And they are quite critical about it.

 

Don �t worry, if you like challenges, then you �ll love teaching teens! And you �ll have a great time! After all these years they still surprise me!!!

 

Have great holidays