Why get into teaching or training?

If you have a passion for knowledge or skills that you possess, teaching or training can be a great way for you to share your enthusiasm and inspire others.

As a teacher or trainer, you also hold a position of responsibility where you can influence how your learners feel about themselves.  It gives you insight into the potential of others that they may not even realise they have.  Part of your job will be to provide an environment where you can bring out the best in your learners.  You do need good emotional intelligence as a teacher or trainer.  Not all learners will behave and engage appropriately, but in my experience, there is usually a reason for this.  Abraham Maslow developed a theory of motivation called the ‘Hierarchy of Needs’.  He suggested that in order to work on our own self-development, our more basic needs must be met first. When learners are not engaging, it could be because they have unmet needs.  It’s not always obvious what these are but if you work on building trust and rapport with your learners, they will be more open to discussing their thoughts and feelings with you.

This is also true for many other roles.  Teachers and trainers come from varied backgrounds with differing experiences.  Our Programme Manager, Neil, was a Police Officer before he embarked on a career in training.  He said:

As a retired police officer, I discovered that I had gained many different skills during that 30-year career, that transferred into the world of education. Skills like communication and effective listening, interpersonal skills, speaking in public, problem-solving, decision-making, adaptability, flexibility, and cultural awareness and sensitivity. I joined the police to have a positive impact and moving into teaching and training allows me to continue this with our learners at Maxam Training