‘I love bringing out the best in children’
Boosting children’s confi dence, raising their potential, helping them to fulfil their dreams… the rewards of teaching are many, as thousand of people are discovering today. The past several months have made many think about what they want to get out of their careers, and one way to make a positive differ ence to other people’s lives is by becoming a teacher.
Teacher training applications to start in September 2021 are now open, and thousands of graduates or people who want to change jobs are opting for a vocation where they can shape young lives and forge a rewarding long-term career.
Research carried out earlier this year shows a third of univer sity students and recent gradu ates say their top career aspirations are making a differ ence in the world and feeling a sense of pride when they tell someone what they do – and they view teaching as one of the most important roles in society.
The chance to make a difference is something that teaching has given secondary school teacher Addison Brown, 28. He discovered a passion for inspiring young people when he coached at a swimming club after graduating. Now he’s in his fourth year of teaching science at Bedford High School in Leigh, Greater Manchester.
“I have an interest in science so I did a PGCE teaching qualification. My speciality is biology, but I teach a lot of chemistry now,” Addison says. After qualifying, he started to learn new skills on the job and loves making even the most complex subjects engaging for pupils, helping to open their eyes to what’s possible to bring out the best in them.
“It’s a tough one with science,” he explains, “because you’ve got the people who have a natural interest in science at school, then you get some people who think: ‘I don’t need to know E=MC because I’m going to be a brickie when I’m older.’
“So when I’m teaching a lower ability set I say to them: ‘Take a really good look at your work because you’re doing stuff that most adults can’t.’ They think they’re not very clever and have low self-esteem, but they’re studying fractional distillation. It’s so impressive. One of my most rewarding tasks is trying to raise these kids’ self-esteem.”
Addison really enjoys making a connection with students, as it’s important for drawing out their potential. “If you make that extra effort to find out a kid’s favourite football team is, say, Manchester United and you go home and learn the latest score and a bit about the team, you can have a conversation with them and it gets that connection going.”
Teaching isn’t always easy but it’s rewarding and secure. “If you come into it and know what to expect, I don’t think there’s a better job,” says Addison, who lives with his wife Rachel and their 15-month-old son Stevie.
“Rachel is a nurse and we feel so lucky at the moment to have such secure jobs. And there’s always room to progress. If I fulfil my expectations I can move up the pay scale, and maybe take on more responsibilities later on.
“I want to become a really good practitioner. That will lead on to other career opportunities – perhaps in a pastoral role. ”
Being in the classroom helping develop pupils’ minds and values, while inspiring them to achieve, is so rewarding for Addison. “There’s no other job I’d rather be doing,” he says.
As a teacher one of my most rewarding tasks is trying to raise the self-esteem of my students