How I became a teacher
This series explores the career paths, progression, and job satisfaction in the varied world of teaching.
Our pupils have 63 first languages and our lessons have to reflect that
Diverse backgrounds are a huge strength, says primary school teacher Alex Lee. But it's important gifted students aren't neglected in the focus on English skills
I swapped my trendy online media job for the buzz of changing pupils' lives
Trainee English teacher Lauren Evans explains why she quit a desk job at the BBC for an inner city classroom
I found my vocation for teaching while training police recruits
From giving feedback on lessons to creating resources and engaging high-ranked officers, teacher Peter Lee explains how his time in the police prepared him for the classroom
I never planned to be a teacher – it was just a ticket to travel
When French and Spanish teacher Starr Green started out, she was prepared to hate teaching. Now she's using her international experience to bring language learning in Britain up to speed
Enduring homophobic bullying at school led me to teach
Primary school deputy headteacher Shaun Dellenty took years to recover from being bullied as a gay teenager, but the experience inspired him to promote inclusion
'I am never happier than when I am tutoring'
Mark Maclaine found his talent for tutoring when selling hoovers. Now he's dedicating his life to helping pupils reach their potential
A lifetime in teaching: 'I don't think about retiring – what I do is who I am'
With more than 50 years' experience as an art teacher and headteacher, 73-year-old Jeff Stratton talks to Matt Jenkin about why he's never believed in punishment and won't consider retiring
My double life as a farmer gives me the edge as a teacher and school leader
Most teachers relax at the end of the day but school principal Val Wigham milks cows and ploughs fields. She explains how running a farm complements her goal to prepare students for the working world
Scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef helped me take the plunge into teaching
Biology teacher Miranda Patterson left a graduate job in finance to dive the depths in Australia. She talks to Matthew Jenkin about how the experience breathed life into a new teaching career
'Teachers can be harder on themselves than they are on students'
Science teacher Claudenia Williams explains how her experiences at school made her want to teach others
Educating Yorkshire's Mr Steer: 'It was teach or the police. So, I tossed a coin'
Maths teacher Michael Steer left a successful job in finance for the classroom. He explains how his distaste for the banking sector led him to forge a headline grabbing career in education
How a secondary in Devon became the most famous British school in Tokyo
If you study Japanese, the world is your sashimi, says award-winning languages teacher Crispin Chambers
Teaching is still a good job, but definitely not an easy option
After starting his career as a car mechanic, headteacher Tony Ryan only did a teaching degree to get a management position in industry. Now he's driving up results at Chiswick School
Like beekeeping, religious education is best when it's controversial
RE teacher Daniel Hugill is as passionate about beekeeping as he is religious studies. After setting up a hive at school, there's a buzz about both subjects
Compassion is the key value I try to teach students
After two years of Teach First, Hannah Mathews took a break from teaching but supply work brought her back and helped her see the job's potential for making a difference
'My struggle with dyslexia at school shaped my approach to education'
Headteacher Kate Chisholm explains how her own difficult experience of school inspired her to work in education and devise new approaches to literacy
Educating Yorkshire's Mr Burton: 'half the battle is raising aspirations'
English teacher Matthew Burton hit the headlines after helping Musharaf Asghar find his voice. He explains why the show also helped teachers to be heard
'Teaching is about the mark you make on other people's lives'
Saudi-born maths teacher Mohammad Rizvi explains how the legacy of his high school mentor inspired him to help other ESL students succeed
Teaching English abroad is about educating the people who really need it
Victoria Harris has travelled the world teaching English as a foreign language. Now her quest to make a difference through education has led her to start her own school in Tanzania
Wrestling with a teaching career: the classroom vs the ring
Deputy head and wrestling champion Mark Cocker uses his success in the ring and the RE classroom to show students they can achieve anything with the right work ethic
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