A short story of purpose and paychecks.
When did you first know you wanted to pursue your career?
For me, the answer came when I was 14. I had always been captivated by languages, loved writing, and, by that point, felt confident enough to explore English more autonomously. Some of my fondest memories as a teenager were from the English language school my parents enrolled me in—without a doubt, one of their best investments in my well-being. In the morning, I used to attend a militarised school. In the afternoon, I had loads of fun talking about arts, music, my opinions, preferences, hobbies… a breath of fresh air and warmth which, years later, I found out that some authors would call “personalization”.
But what really made me be sure of my professional choice was the moment I heard a school teacher claiming, in front of an appalled audience of pre-teens, that she did not care whether they (me included) wanted to study or not, because her salary would be the same at the end of the month.
Now, I’d rather not judge such a verbal sign of exhaustion (the group I was part of had its share of behavioural issues). My point here is: while that lady showed great vulnerability and tiredness, she also gave me a glimpse of financial dignity. This wasn’t to say that the other teachers I had encountered lacked confidence— in fact, I admired many of them deeply. However, that blatantly honest one in particular broke through the caricature of “poor educators” in a different way and what it did to my then developing brain was introducing the simple notion that it was possible to make a (comfortable) living out of intellectual labour.
That realisation was one of the reasons I decided to pursue a teaching degree in Languages (Portuguese and English)… and the rest, as they say, is history.
Because that’s what teaching is, at the end of the day: a work of research, knowledge-building, techniques… along with empathy and humanity. Educators are not saints who simply donate their time and effort out of pure truism in a vocational mission. We may love teaching, celebrate every student’s progress, and find joy in the classroom, but let's face it: bills don't get paid with love and good will. Besides, great teaching isn’t born from instinct or gut feeling; it requires study, preparation, and a commitment to informed, thoughtful action.
It worries me when I hear certain discourses about the profession that may be shaping the perceptions of the youth… and the growing teacher shortages in many regions serve as a stark reminder of the challenges we face.
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