نکات برگزیده

I'm a Physics teacher, been teaching for 5 years or so. I absolutely love teaching, but it is incredibly exhausting. You put your heart and soul into it non-stop during term-time, it's constantly challenging, and at the end of term I need to crash for about a few days or even a week before I'm able to do anything else. I definitely feel it is an extrovert's job, and you have to put on the role of an extrovert for teaching, so I appear very outgoing, friendly and approachable in front of a class, but withdraw and are much more quiet afterwards. I often find that with everything going on, I sometimes spend too much time with my own thoughts, processing everything and reflecting on my lessons when it's break or lunchtime, so I can be very quiet when having lunch with colleagues. I've found it a very stressful job, and it has had effects on my health, so in the past I've made an effort to take 5 minutes at lunchtime away from marking, writing emails, planning etc to sit and clear my head. It helps me relax and allows me to clear my head so I can go through, have lunch with my colleagues and be able to be more social with them. I also need time to myself at the end of the day.

The job itself couldn't be better. It involves careful planning of varied and engaging activities in a way to make the subject fun and convey your passion for the subject, thinking about how best to meet the needs of all the learners in your class, plus you get to be extroverted and communicate regularly as part of your job, which as a very shy person I've always enjoyed when I get the opportunity to take on that role. I love the challenge it brings, it can be exhausting, especially the behaviour management which takes a lot out of me - and it's been difficult balancing my own personal values of being friendly and kind person, with having to be authoritarian and maintain good positive behaviour. 

The rewards are wonderful - to have pupils who have struggled throughout the year improve in skills, confidence, achieve good grades, or find something they are passionate about, it's truly great and makes all the hard work worthwhile.