Passing on my knowledge
Amy Salwey,
career changer
After university I became an accountant and built my way up to chief financial officer. I wanted to use this experience to break down the perceived barriers around the subject I love: maths.
Maths has the unfortunate reputation of being difficult and lifeless. I want to raise its reputation by inspiring young minds to find the fun in discovering maths’ unique characteristics.
I remember one of my teachers saying ‘We should not keep knowledge to ourselves; we should share this knowledge to others.’
When I made the decision of a career change, I knew I needed to be doing something which could provide some type of service for the greater good. I wanted a career that would inspire me and motivate me to be at my best, a career which gives back to the soul.
This is the main reason I chose teaching.
I remember one of my teachers saying ‘We should not keep knowledge to ourselves; we should share this knowledge to others.’
Recently, I was explaining a difficult maths concept, where I nearly exhausted every different method of explanation. All of a sudden I heard a river of the same comment flowing from each and every pupil: ‘Oh, I get it now.’ It’s instances like this that make me proud of being a teacher.
I had several concerns before applying; would I have the time to be a good parent and train in a new and demanding career, and would I be able to teach an entire classroom?
However, with the support and training from my school and mentors, these concerns soon faded.
