Why I Want to be a Teacher

I did my degree in Mathematics and one of my modules in my second year of study was Education in Maths. This module required me to visit a school once a week for three hours in the afternoon, and support students in maths lessons and provide after school maths support to year 11 pupils. The school I worked at had a reputation for being quite rough as it was in a very disadvantaged area of Leicester. I expected the pupils to be wild but they turned out to be incredible. There were many students in the school that were very difficult but when I built relationships with them, I learnt quickly that they just need support. The year 11 pupil I supported after school was known to be a trouble maker and do very little work, and we had to force him to even just sit down with me. However, as time went on, we built an incredible relationship. He would sit down calmly, always greet me respectfully and work very hard. The way he changed over time was magnificent because he wanted to work well for me. He knew I always believed in him and he wanted to repay that faith. Seeing him growing made all the struggles at the beginning worth it because he was generally happier. 

Furthermore, I have been through my own struggles throughout my time at university. I almost failed my first year of university and I thought I wasn’t good enough for it. Then, I managed to just get through first year without redoing the whole year. I told myself that I will never let this happen again. Throughout my second and third years of university, I worked incredibly hard. I spent 12/13 hours a day in the library almost every day through those two years. I ended up graduating university with a First Class honours. It turned out to be the greatest achievement of my life. I proved to myself that hard work will help you to achieve anything. I want to show youngsters that they can achieve anything they want through hard work. I want to use my story to inspire youngsters, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds that anything is possible and that no dream is too big. I believe that it’s not about where you are but where you want to be and how you can get there.

By Mustafa Daud