Teaching: What’s it really like?

The plan was simple. Re-invent yourself and build a career that aligns the 3 aspects of a fulfilling professional life:

1. Mastery — something you can get better at each day.

2. Autonomy — having creative control over how you do it.

3. Purpose — serving something bigger than yourself.

Teaching has all 3. However, like many things in life the reality is more complex.

Here are my honest thoughts now that I teach full time:

- The responsibility is huge. I’m accountable for how 150 teenagers think and feel about mathematics. I’m often asked, “Sir, what’s the point in this?”. My answer can shape a life.

- I’m emotionally exhausted at the end of some days. Sometimes I feel like a social worker. Whilst that’s nice, it’s not necessarily what I want to do at this stage in my life.

- When I teach, I instantly achieve a “flow” state. It’s Selfless, Effortless, Timeless and has Richness. Each 55-minute lesson is fully immersed.

- School provides 3 things- 1) custody of children, 2) social interaction 3) teaching and learning. Some parents only care about the first and second, which is a sad but true reality.

- Making unexpected positive phone calls home to parents that really care is a win-win. The #1 determinant of a child’s success or failure is parental engagement.

- Sometimes you have to really search for compassion. I work at a tough school, so it’s not uncommon for an older pupil to physically threaten a teacher. Yes, that happened (to me).

- I really enjoy the steep learning curve. Whether it’s the wave of cognitive science that informs pedagogy, learning to use new EdTech, or creating content in the intersection between education and the metaverse.

- One of the real perks is working closely with colleagues that share those 3 values — mastery, autonomy and purpose (MAP).

This concept of “MAP” is a useful framework for thinking about our careers. What other jobs are there that combine all 3?

I’m currently working as a Maths Teacher at a challenging secondary school. I comment on themes from Education & Learning, and how they might benefit you, and the next generation.

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