Why I decided to change my career to Maths Teaching

Hello, I am Victoire Huchet, and I am part of the Maths Scholarship Cohort of 2021-2022. I studied Aerospace Engineering for five years and achieved a First-Class in my Bachelors and a Distinction in my Masters. Now, I bet you are wondering why I changed from an engineering career pathway and went into teaching? I could have chosen to do whatever I wanted. Well, I chose to teach, and let me explain why I chose to teach.

Let me talk to you about my experience between my six-month engineering placement and my four-month teaching placement. Then you will decide which one sounds more appealing. Firstly, I decided to spend six months in a drone company. This consisted of writing code, C++, and Python to be precise. Admittedly, I loved learning about coding at university but in the job, I found it draining and boring. To stare at a screen all day and repeat this every day, was not for me. Following, I spent four months in a secondary school where I worked as a teaching assistant in the Maths department. This consisted of interacting with other members of the team and interacting with different age groups, this being the students. Forming a dynamic and diverse work environment, which was very different from my engineering placement, where my only interaction was the computer. Additionally, while I was working as a teaching assistant, I felt like I was valued as my 1-to-1 sessions were helping improve individual students and this felt rewarding seeing them feel more confident with their work. This was a feeling I had not found in my previous placement. Now which one sounds more appealing?

Now never forget, we spend most of our life at work, and all these feelings of inclusiveness I found in my second placement is what I want for my next 50-to-60-year career. So, if that does not entice you, let’s talk about the fact that teachers are the ones who shape the future, as we teach our future leaders. Come on, that is cool! Right?

Finishing off with a pragmatic reason for becoming a teacher. Teaching is a very reliable job; teachers are always in need. So, this clearly shows there is no disadvantage in becoming a teacher and why I chose to change my career and to enter the teaching world.

By Victoire Huchet