Why I Love My Job

When I finished high school I had a huge list with subjects to study. I just didn’t know... I was going for a gap year anyway, so it wasn’t that urgent to decide. The first 6 months of my gap year were an internship at an international school. I was basically a teaching assistant. That opened my eyes, I knew I wanted to work with children and become a teacher. I signed up for the university of education in Lucerne, Switzerland. I started with studying to be a kindergarten or 1st and 2nd grade teacher. After three semesters I had kind of a melt down and just didn’t like teaching little children. That’s when I changed to primary school level, which means 1st to 6th grade. I had an additional year at university, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I’m now in my second year of teaching. I teach at a bilingual elementary school for grades 5 and 6, I’m also classroom advisor for grade 6. I mostly teach the German subjects, some also in English and I’m also the drama club teacher.

Now let me tell you why I love my job.

It’s great being surrounded by kids every day. Yes, sometimes they can be annoying and you need a lot of patience. I’m not a patient person at all, but somehow it’s different with kids. Children are so full of energy, creativity, passion and talent. Being with them everyday is fun and fills me with happiness. I learn something new every day and they are a great inspiration to me. I love coming up with lessons and lesson plans, I try to make them as varied and fun as possible. The best thing about teaching, is seeing that the light goes on in their heads, they understand something and they learned something new. I see the word through the eyes of the children and give them the possibility to grow in knowledge, skills and also confidence.

It’s important to me that they like coming to school and I hope I can make a difference for them. Their school career has an impact on their lives and I’m a big part of it. Being a grade 6 teacher, means that I actually decide what they do after primary school, together with the kids and the parents of course. I want the best for them and it’s great discovering their talents and weaknesses. Their weaknesses are part of them and I want to help them improve.

The students surprise me every day, they are always eager to share things and their stories are funny and very entertaining. Talking to them during lunch is like being part of a movie.

Another thing I really love about my job is the international atmosphere: I always wanted to teach at an international school, and my dream came true. I had trouble finding a job, but in the end it was ok, because I found this one. I adore languages, especially the English language and it’s great to use it every day. There are so many nationalities at my school, it’s a great mixture of people.

My colleagues are wonderful, we make an awesome team and I really enjoy working with them.

It’s also great that I get a lot of holidays, but it’s not like everybody thinks. Teachers also work during their free time and holidays. We have to prepare lessons, mark, write reports and organize school events. I’m a very organized person and that’s why I can still enjoy my holidays and weekends. There has not been a day/morning that I didn’t want to get up and go to school. That would be a very bad sign, I think…

Teaching also enables me to share my passion for reading, writing, music, drama, languages and many other things. It allows me to be creative and artistic. I can be funny as well, play games and teach theories and important content at the same time.

Being a teacher is wonderful and I’m grateful for it every day.

What do you love about your job?! What makes it special to you?