Three compelling reasons why a career in education is truly rewarding

As we mark International Men’s Day 2024, it is important to highlight the significant role men can play in primary school teaching – here we hear from our very own Senior Programmes Manager Matthew Peach, who began his teaching career as a primary school teacher and shares what he loved most about the role

1. The unexpected joy of making a difference
   
   I was in my local supermarket a few weeks ago and a young man came up to me at the self-checkout as it flashed red – clearly displeased by the weight of my bag. He said, ‘You probably won’t remember me, but I was in your class.’ I must admit, it took me several seconds where I cast my mind back to my first year in teaching and suddenly, this now man’s eight-year-old face looked back at me. When I was 21 in my first teaching post, a primary school not too far from where I grew up, it was hard to find time to spot the impact I was having on the children - I never thought I’d be stopped in the local supermarket by one of them ten years later. He told me how he was about to start university, studying computer science and we reminisced about our use of Scratch all those years ago. You never know when just one lesson might spark joy in one of our students and how it might alter their future. There are few careers that give you that level of impact, but teaching does – in abundance.
   
2. Continuous learning and growth
   
   As I reflect on my time as a teacher, I can honestly say I never thought I would have such a diverse range of experiences and therefore so much opportunity to learn and grow. Each day is truly different. You might be supporting an intervention with a Year 1 child who needs extra provision in their phonics, leading a school trip to a museum to explore artefacts relating to ancient Egypt, engaging with the latest educational research on how children learn, or attending a safeguarding meeting to help support some of our most vulnerable children. Teaching has so many different avenues to engage with and as you progress you have such a range of choice in where you may want to specialise, whether you choose to stay in the classroom or pursue opportunities in the wider education sector.
   
3. Community building
   
   Working in a school means you belong to a close-knit community. You really feel connected to something meaningful. As a primary school teacher especially, your sense of community extends beyond the classroom environment and the relationship you develop with the children and into engaging with parents, carers and local organisations to help build strong relationships that support students’ overall well-being. Additionally, teaching feels like joining an exclusive club. I always think I can spot a teacher a mile off in a crowded room. You have a common understanding of what it means to stand in front of a class at 10am on Thursday and teach students what a determiner does. That experience is binding. Being part of the teacher community means you’ve always got someone to relate to, discuss ideas with and share hilarious anecdotes.

Being a teacher, especially a primary school teacher, was the best professional decision I made. If you want to make a difference, continue learning and growing, and feel a strong sense of community, be a teacher. It’ll be the best thing you’ll choose to do.  I can’t imagine myself not working with schools in some way.

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