Member Article

When did your job last give you goosebumps?

One quarter (25%) of the general public say they have never experienced ‘a moment that gives them goosebumps’ in their working lives, yet over three-quarters of teachers (77%) have enjoyed one of those magical moments within the last eight weeks. This is according to new research released today by the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL).

The survey of over 4,500 teachers and non-teachers found teaching comes out top of a goosebumps scale, comparing when employees from different sectors last enjoyed such a rewarding, positive feeling in a ‘goosebump moment’. Health came second, media and marketing third, charity fourth, and legal fifth, followed by accountancy and sales.

These goosebumps also help three-quarters (77%) of teachers feel proud of the job they do at least once a week. In addition, twice as many teachers (40%) than the non-teaching public (21%) say those special moments make their hard work worth it. Over a third of teachers (37%) also say the transformational moments they get to be part of – where they can see others understanding a particular task or topic – make their job worthwhile. This compares to just 20% of the general public.

Commenting on the findings, Roger Pope, Chair of the National College for Teaching and Leadership, said:

“Teaching is a unique career that can provide unrivalled amounts of pride, sense of achievement and rewarding opportunities. It’s an amazing feeling when something clicks for a pupil for the very first time - moments like this can give you real goosebumps.

“Teaching is not without its challenges, but the benefits and rewards make the hard work worth it. Our research shows us that other professions and careers don’t always match up or make people feel the same way that teaching can. That’s why we are encouraging more people to consider using their skills and passion to train to teach.”

NCTL’s research reveals that twice as many teachers (63%) than other professionals (34%) think they help to shape lives and two-thirds (68%) of teachers feel they have the opportunity to inspire people every day, compared to less than a third (31%) of non-teachers.

In addition the research found that teachers (61%) are more motivated by making a positive contribution to society than non-teachers (39%), and over half (55%) of teachers were initially inspired to follow their career path due to a desire to ‘make a difference’. Whilst a quarter of those who don’t teach say they have never made a difference to society in the work they do, two-thirds (67%) of teachers believe they have made a difference in the last month alone.

Mat Galvin a Chemistry teacher from Firth Park Academy in Sheffield said:

“As a teacher, it’s an incredible feeling seeing your students doing well, particularly when you can see they are engaged with the subject matter. I’ve experienced ‘goosebump moments’ where you can instantly see the impact your work is having on a student or even a whole class. It’s a great feeling and makes me proud of my job, and vocal about encouraging others – whether they are just leaving universities or in a career that isn’t fulfilling – into teaching.”

NCTL provides a comprehensive programme of support to aspiring teachers, providing guidance all the way through the application process.

To help attract the best and brightest people with the potential to be exceptional teachers, tax-free bursaries and scholarships are now available in a range of subjects. For example, trainees in physics can receive a bursary or scholarship of up to £30,000 tax-free while they train. Scholarships worth £27,500 are also on offer for chemistry, computing, geography, maths and modern foreign languages.

Anyone looking for more information about getting into teaching should visit www.education.gov.uk/getintoteaching or call 0800 389 2500.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by National College for Teaching and Leadership .