My English Pages

My teaching experience

If teaching is stressful, financially less rewarding, why do teachers teach? It is a legitimate question!

In the beginning

I remmember being forced to be  a teacher. For a poor young person with no other alternatives to earn a living, teaching was the only solution. At that time, in my home country (Morocco), the only way  for a graduate to find a job was to enroll in public utility jobs. The opportunities were slim. So I passed an entrance exam with flying colours and was appointed in a very far rural area in the south of Morocco.

Immediately after I started to wonder whether I was made for that job! The answer was yes and no. Yes, because teaching has given me an opportunity :

• To learn for the rest of my life. Teaching is an open source of learning experiences. I was willing to learn.
• To stay in touch with the youth.

I also thought that teaching was not my cup of tea as it is:

• not really financially rewarding
• very tiring and stressful

But why am I still sticking to the profession?

That’s because my insights about the job have changed enormously!

1. Teaching is not about money.
2. Teaching needs a generous heart; one which gives without waiting to be rewarded. Selfish people can never be good teachers. Altruism is a key element in the profession.
3. It is a gift before it is an art.
4. It is about experiencing a variety of situations. Every session, every lesson , every student is  unique.
5. Teaching is about learning. A teacher is an eternal learner.
6. Teaching is about communication.
7. Teaching is about sensitivity. A person without the abilty to sympathize, empathize, and listen will be a failure in the job.