They can take and take and it doesn t feel like they re giving anything back. You ve got to be realistic about all of this, because teaching does have its down sides, and these can hit student teachers and NQTs hard. But there has to be a reason why I keep on doing it, and why lots of your colleagues have done it for 20 years or more - and it goes beyond needing to pay the mortgage. Teaching is, quite simply, the best job in the world. It will give you highs that no amount of caffeine can ever achieve, and it inspires such passionate debate nationally and internationally precisely because it is a job that involves real people, real emotions and real experiences.
Children don t break down or crash like computers.
You can t put them on call-waiting, or refuse to return their letters. There are some interesting ways of teaching about eggs and sperm and it s up to you to discover them. You re surfing a continuous learning curve and you develop personally as well as professionally. Nothing can match the sense of achievement you feel at the end of the day. Plus, you will get the most supportive, humorous colleagues in the world.