Today I made the decision to train to become a teacher.
For about the millionth time.
OK, that's not strictly accurate. Today I made the first positive and decisive step towards becoming a teacher. I started the enrolment process which will get me onto a University access course which will, in 18 months' time mean that I am qualified and prepared enough to go back to Uni and study for a PGCE.
I'm qualified enough now, but having been totally out of the loop for far too long, I made the decision to take an extra year to get my bearings, slip back into the worlds of study and work and knuckle down to the career I desperately need.
Now, the question is "Why on earth would anyone want to be a teacher in this day and age?"
It's about the only job I can see myself being comfortable in - despite the bad pay, silly hours, unpaid overtime, crippling red tape, a constantly changing curriculum and all that. I've taught before and have never felt more like I just fitted.
Over the years, I've worked as a Mobile Phone supplier, Barman, Filing Clerk, Secretary and Network Technician to name a few and I've never really felt like it was the thing I could do for the rest of my life. Since the age of sixteen, I've been convinced that education is really the only industry for me. Informally, I've taught on numerous occasions. Formally, I've taught for just a few days, but they were the most fulfilling few days of my career. I did well and I knew I'd achieved something. The class worked well and produced good results and that was down to my skill. I felt alive, important, in control. I felt like I was making just a little difference to these people's lives and helping them to achieve something and that gave me a rush like nothing else.
Let me tell you a story:
From the age of six to nineteen I was part of the Boys' Brigade at my local church. I made some good friends and built up relationships that last to this day. I also earned a lot of respect and worked my way through the ranks, eventually reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant, which was the highest rank I could achieve without formally joining the membership of the church, being baptised and recieving my commission (The Boys' Brigade is run on a loosely military structure, with Commissioned and Non-Commissioned officers).
During my time as an NCO, I was in charge of the younger Boys in the Brigade, ranging in age from 10 to 17 and in number from three or four to about a dozen.
Together with my C.O.'s, we worked towards instilling the Boys with a sense of discipline, respect and hopefully provided a positive role model in their lives.
As is the case with teenagers, a good number of them drifted away over the years and we heard little more about them.
Until one day I saw, on the cover of the local paper, a face I remembered. He was being praised for his actions in defending a pensioner from a mugging and apprehending the mugger. The article made mention of the time he'd spent in the Boys' Brigade, and how it had had a great influence on his life.
And for one glowing moment that will stay with me forever, I realised that one of the people who'd acted as a mentor and given him that terrific start in life was me.
It is the world's greatest feeling to feel proud of someone whose life you've helped mould. To say that my heart bursts with pride at this young man's actions is no understatement.
Of course my kids make me proud, extremely proud, but this is something that happened a long time before I even imagined I would ever be a parent. This was me influencing a peer to do good deeds and be a good person.
I'm not conceited enough to take all the credit. He comes from a good family and I have no doubt that his good nature comes from them, but the very thought that I might have had just that very small influence on his choice to be a good person is overwhelmingly incredible.
And it's this that drives my desire to teach. The chance to be responsible for the achievements of all those young people. To help them acquire the tools to make something wonderful of their lives. To be able to look back and know that I helped them achieve whatever successes they have. That motivates me to be the best teacher I can be.
