Why I Teach: A Journey of Passion and Purpose

From the moment I was seven years old, teaching wasn't just a career—it was a calling. My first "student" was an unlikely candidate: my father, one of thirteen children who was pulled from school to help run the family farm. Despite being denied a formal education, he was remarkably intelligent, carrying a lifelong chip on his shoulder about the opportunities he'd missed.

Armed with a blackboard and chalk, I would "teach" him English, correcting his grammar and spelling. I wasn't the most patient instructor, and he was far from a compliant student. But this early experience planted the seeds of my lifelong passion for education.

My teaching ambitions continued through childhood. While other children played, I was organising lessons for my dolls—captive audiences who never talked back and always appreciated my corrections. During primary school "play days," you'd find me at the front of a makeshift classroom, fully in my element.

Reality hit hard when I first stepped into a Warwickshire secondary school classroom in 2001. The experience was nothing like my childhood fantasies. Instead of inspiring young minds, I felt more like a crowd controller, constantly managing behaviour rather than truly teaching. The environment seemed more about maintaining order than nurturing learning.

Everything changed in 2007 when a friend introduced me to online teaching. Suddenly, education became what I had always dreamed it could be. Without the constraints of traditional classrooms—no disruptive bells, no endless disciplinary reminders—I could focus on what truly matters: connecting with students and making learning enjoyable.

This approach has led to moments that remind me why I do what I do. Just recently, an anxious Year 11 student transformed during a writing lesson about fast fashion. Using an anecdote about her experiences in Bangladesh (in reality she’s confided in me that she finds it difficult to leave her house most days), she not only produced a compelling piece of writing but also found a moment of joy and self-expression that temporarily lifted her anxiety.

My goal has always been simple: to make a positive impact on at least one student each year. And remarkably, I've found that I consistently achieve—and often exceed—this modest ambition.

Teaching isn't just a job for me. It's a calling, a passion, and a privilege. It's about more than grades or curriculum—it's about helping young people discover their voice, their confidence, and their potential.

To anyone wondering about their path: follow your passion. Mine led me here, to a profession that continues to inspire and fulfill me every single day.