So You're On The Fence About Becoming A Maths Teacher... - By Tabitha Tenadu 

Whether you want to make a sudden career change or this is a path you feel you're destined to be on, it’s safe to say that although time changes and so do teaching practices, the advice being given never will. As a trainee teacher, I’ve learnt that there are so many parts to delivering maths to your students that each lesson becomes a learning opportunity. 
 
So, if I were to offer advice to someone considering the Maths Teaching profession, here's what I would say: 

1) Be prepared to know how to make your own lessons and have a bank of resources. You'll quickly learn that different topics and activities work for different classes. 
 
2) You’re going to stay late afterschool or come in extra early to plan lessons, even if you’ve planned them in advance. Maths is a heavy-loaded subject and requires more thought to teach, especially when you start out. 
 
3) Every day is an experience, but also a new adventure. Take each lesson as it comes and remain optimistic. Not every lesson will be sunshine and roses, but most of them can be. 
 
4) No matter how many misconceptions you predict, there will always be one you never expected. 
 
5) A work-life balance will take a while to find, but once you've established boundaries within your practice and prioritise your health, it becomes so much easier. Be prepared to have a complete life shift. 
 
6) Your main motivation for staying in the profession becomes the students that are in front of you everyday; you keep going for them, and it's a powerful motivation that you wouldn't change for the world. The smiles on their faces after a successful plenary session, the unified disappointment they have when you announce that they’re doing an exit ticket, or even the little moments like a student offering to hand out the books or model their answer verbally or on the board - it’s moments like these that keep you going. 
 
7) No amount of experience as a mathematician will be enough, you need to go back to the basics before you can teach maths. See everything through the eyes of a student who hasn't learnt yet and the teaching process for each topic becomes crystal clear. 
 
And finally, remember why you love maths! Your enthusiasm for maths transfers onto your students, regardless of their ability. If you want to disprove the 'I hated maths in school' statements you hear all the time (and you'll hear them even more as you progress), start with the mouldable minds that are yet to discover the beauty of the subject that was delved into so many years ago, one that is still being researched and developed today. 

By Tabitha Tenadu 

You find Tabitha on Instagram here: @abena.tee_ 

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