Hi all,
So, I've reached that point again where I become engrossed in heavy thoughts. Thoughts of reflection upon my current situation, and how I can go about doing the things I really want to do. I'm sure you've had many of these moments too.
I guess I can start by saying that I really, really, really want to go abroad. I need to go somewhere fresh, to discard my current social and work-related baggage and simply enjoy life, seizing each opportunity and going with whatever interests me. To feel free. Isn't that what everyone wants?
The last time I truly felt such an amazing level of freedom was in Uganda two years ago. I love immersing myself in new environments, with the right balance of danger and safety to make things interesting. In a way, I'm envious of how the people there live simple lives - living off the land and making just enough to get by. There's no worry about getting a mortgage, battling with energy companies, or competing against a thousand other qualified people for a single job position, at a business which only seeks to help itself.
I guess the biggest question I've been asking myself is "for a first job, should I take priority over getting a job which I enjoy, or a job that has a high salary?" If I asked myself that question a year ago, I'd say getting a job which I enjoy is more important. I've found myself re-thinking that answer. On the whole, my answer is still the same, but I realise it's a much more complicated question than I initially thought.
I know I shouldn't deny multiple points of view, but in my mind, teaching seems like the most comfortable job for me. Not comfortable as in 'easy', but comfortable in that the job brings in a steady, reasonable income, I can afford to buy a humble abode within 10 years of working (stress the word 'humble'), and most importantly, I am making a real and positive difference to society.
Now, I'm not denying the fact that I could be living in that humble abode much sooner by working in private industry, then switch to teaching, but I question the real advantage I am giving myself by working in a job where the core meaning of my work is to fill the pockets of authoritarian people. Besides, I'm not the sort of person who wants to live in a mansion.
Of course, another fact is that my lack of dedication to teaching if I were to start in another industry. I quite like the idea of moving up in the hierarchy of a school, perhaps one day becoming a headteacher (in which case, I'd be earning loads of money anyway), but I do question how the leadership roles differ from each other, particularly the abstraction to which you are actually helping the kids. As a headteacher, you might not be engaging with kids in the same way that a standard teacher will. Regardless, The sooner I start my career in teaching, the sooner I will build up my technique and experience, and the sooner I can be qualified for higher positions.
I'll leave the mental discussion here for now. Time to sleep and digest.
Until next time.
Sunday, 28 July 2013
Saturday, 23 March 2013
Learning to Teach
Hi all,
So once again, it's been a while since I last blogged. Only now have I got the opportunity to take the time to clear my head of work stresses, and actually take a bit of time for reflection and self-evaluation. That's basically what people do when they blog, right? Discuss things they'd like to get out of their head, so that the thoughts running around can have some kind of real-world meaning. Anyway..
Teaching. It's something I've always had at the back of my mind for a job, and it's only recently that I've questioned myself as to why I've always previously refused the thought of becoming a Teacher. From the years I've spent being taught/lectured (not the same thing, I promise you), the majority of time I spend in classes is dedicated to thinking about how the person at the front could provide a better way of explaining a topic, so much so that I often feel the urge to go up and explain the topic myself sometimes. Less so at University, because too often is it the case where a lecturer's style is so dry even the chairs in the lecture theatre start giving up on life. I just can't keep up with most lectures, and to be totally honest I really don't like the whole formal lecturing style, although I understand it's necessary when you've got 200 or so people to teach about Fourier Transforms. Seriously though, some of the seats in the Chemistry department are close to collapse.
What's so bad about the Software Industry? I'm not saying there's anything bad about it, but the idea of dealing with line after line of tedious error messages, spending half my spare time worrying about other people's contribution to a group project, and staring at a computer screen for most of the day doesn't appeal to me. If the industry isn't like this, then the University is doing a bad job at preparing us for it. Cynicism aside, I simply like talking to people, and enjoy social situations much more than I do compared with being on my own, struggling with trying to make a damned SQL plugin work. I'm becoming more and more fed up with learning things I'm probably not going to use in a future job, so it helps in that I'm making up my mind about becoming a Teacher - it gives me a clear idea for a career to aim for.
Unlike the traditional view, Teaching is not a job for industry failures. With any job, passion is important (oh how cliché), and that includes Teaching. Honestly, I cannot think of a better way of contributing to society than to share your knowledge and help children gain a grip on their lives; opening doors to opportunities. Short of being a Doctor, it's the most important job in the entire world. Education is universal, brings everyone closer together in understanding, and as a result helps to craft people who will become the future leaders of the world. There really isn't anything more meaningful than to see a child go on to be successful in what they want to do, knowing that it was you who provided the stepping stones. A lot of people say it's a job where you don't get thanked enough for it. That statement is somewhat supported by the relatively low salary, but personally I think if you're dedicated enough, it shouldn't matter how many times you're being thanked. So long as you know you've done your job and allowed children to shape their future, that's the real job satisfaction.
I can't really explain the feeling I had when I finally decided that teaching was the career for me. In some sense, I felt pride. In another, I felt a huge weight of responsibility. However, for the first time something clicked in my head, where it was as if all the cells in my body were nodding in approval of my decision. I've always felt kind of lost in terms of what I'd do after University, until now. Now I have something to aim for. I have a purpose. It's time to learn how to teach.
Until next time.
So once again, it's been a while since I last blogged. Only now have I got the opportunity to take the time to clear my head of work stresses, and actually take a bit of time for reflection and self-evaluation. That's basically what people do when they blog, right? Discuss things they'd like to get out of their head, so that the thoughts running around can have some kind of real-world meaning. Anyway..
Teaching. It's something I've always had at the back of my mind for a job, and it's only recently that I've questioned myself as to why I've always previously refused the thought of becoming a Teacher. From the years I've spent being taught/lectured (not the same thing, I promise you), the majority of time I spend in classes is dedicated to thinking about how the person at the front could provide a better way of explaining a topic, so much so that I often feel the urge to go up and explain the topic myself sometimes. Less so at University, because too often is it the case where a lecturer's style is so dry even the chairs in the lecture theatre start giving up on life. I just can't keep up with most lectures, and to be totally honest I really don't like the whole formal lecturing style, although I understand it's necessary when you've got 200 or so people to teach about Fourier Transforms. Seriously though, some of the seats in the Chemistry department are close to collapse.
What's so bad about the Software Industry? I'm not saying there's anything bad about it, but the idea of dealing with line after line of tedious error messages, spending half my spare time worrying about other people's contribution to a group project, and staring at a computer screen for most of the day doesn't appeal to me. If the industry isn't like this, then the University is doing a bad job at preparing us for it. Cynicism aside, I simply like talking to people, and enjoy social situations much more than I do compared with being on my own, struggling with trying to make a damned SQL plugin work. I'm becoming more and more fed up with learning things I'm probably not going to use in a future job, so it helps in that I'm making up my mind about becoming a Teacher - it gives me a clear idea for a career to aim for.
Unlike the traditional view, Teaching is not a job for industry failures. With any job, passion is important (oh how cliché), and that includes Teaching. Honestly, I cannot think of a better way of contributing to society than to share your knowledge and help children gain a grip on their lives; opening doors to opportunities. Short of being a Doctor, it's the most important job in the entire world. Education is universal, brings everyone closer together in understanding, and as a result helps to craft people who will become the future leaders of the world. There really isn't anything more meaningful than to see a child go on to be successful in what they want to do, knowing that it was you who provided the stepping stones. A lot of people say it's a job where you don't get thanked enough for it. That statement is somewhat supported by the relatively low salary, but personally I think if you're dedicated enough, it shouldn't matter how many times you're being thanked. So long as you know you've done your job and allowed children to shape their future, that's the real job satisfaction.
I can't really explain the feeling I had when I finally decided that teaching was the career for me. In some sense, I felt pride. In another, I felt a huge weight of responsibility. However, for the first time something clicked in my head, where it was as if all the cells in my body were nodding in approval of my decision. I've always felt kind of lost in terms of what I'd do after University, until now. Now I have something to aim for. I have a purpose. It's time to learn how to teach.
Until next time.
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