Those who know my story are aware that I quit engineering to pursue my dream in teaching. It was not an easy decision at the time. Neither was it an easy process to gain ground in the new field (it honestly is easier now to switch than it was in 2009). But with time and perseverance, I became a qualified & registered teacher. What skills helped me achieve this? Three simple ones: the ability to read, write and think creatively. I’ve taught for 9 years now & I earn a living primarily from teaching.
Think about it. 5+ (strike) years studying Engineering, 6 years in secondary school and 6 years in primary education – that’s 17 years of formal education – was spent only to develop in me the ability to read, write and think. Of course, there are other things (outside school environment) I learnt in those 17 years which cannot be summarised easily, but the basic things I picked from the institutions of education are reading, writing and (to some extent) critical thinking.
Were those 17+ years necessary for 3 skills? As a matter of fact, I could already do the first 2 (reading and writing) by the end of secondary school and I can’t say that my ability to think critically can be wholly attributed to formal education. Research actually shows that schools (globally) do more to shut down learners’ creativity than to build it. {Learnt from #NEDIS2019}
I am definitely not alone in this line of thought. Quite a large number of people are working in places they didn’t train for in school. While some earned this position as a result of being graduate of any course, others like me worked hard by studying to gain a firm footing.
What could this mean for teachers at all levels of education? Can I do my job as a primary school teacher in such a way that every child I teach has all (s)he needs for life? Will it make a difference in your practice if you teach every student as if you are the last formal teacher they need for life?
Think about this and let it guide your daily work.
To be continued…
