Why I decided to change careers to become a Maths Teacher

Andrew RobinsonHonestly, I’m not sure whether I was pushed or pulled towards teaching... Maybe it was a bit of both, but (so far) I am glad I made the huge jump!

After working in the oil & gas industry for almost 25 years everything had become ‘routine’ and even though the extrinsic reward was still there I believed, at 48 years old, there must be something more to my working life before retirement. The intrinsic reward had long gone. So, what next? 

I thought about all the aspects of my career to date that I had enjoyed, including mentoring and training of new graduate employees that entailed relationship building and coaching, developing an accredited training course and presenting to clients throughout the world. Teaching presented an ideal new challenge as it seemed to be the perfect ‘fit’ that combined a similar job profile with my love of mathematics that hadn’t left me since being inspired by my very own teachers 30+ years ago!

However, teaching would also include the main variable, children! (apologies for getting some maths jargon in)! Having successfully brought up four boys now aged between 15 and 19 who are now becoming independent and soon to ‘fly the nest’ I have asked myself several times; Why more, am I mad? I think the categorical answer is ‘no’ (maybe slightly) but the opportunity to teach would allow me to fulfil my aspirations whilst giving me the opportunity to enthuse and educate young people that would lead to their highest possible achievement and personal development.

I strongly believe that my work and life experiences will enable me not only to teach mathematics but to also show its application in every-day life. My passion for creating board games, quizzes and treasure hunts for my friends/family will hopefully help me become an inspirational mathematics teacher. I also believe mathematics should be made accessible to all pupils whilst trying to increase the enjoyment of the subject through audio, visual and practical activities. I hope that I can contribute in supporting students in achieving their goals to make a real difference in their everyday lives.

Becoming a Maths Scholar has given me the opportunity to further develop my interpersonal, communicative and professional skills from like-minded people who want to inspire students through the application of mathematics. Who better than to learn from the echelon of the profession, through which I hope to make a difference to younger people's lives and careers by developing the 'whole child' whilst preparing them for life after school? The Maths Scholarship will also provide me with access to additional resources and ideas that I can then take and hopefully successfully implement in my very own mathematic lessons in the future.

By Andrew Robinson