My Future Profession

Finishing school is the beginning of the independent life for millions of school leavers. Many roads are opened before them: vocational and technical schools, academies and universities. But it is not an easy thing to choose a profession out of more than 2,000 existing in the world. Some pupils follow the advice of their parents, others can't decide even after leaving school.

As for me, I made my choice long ago. I want to become a teacher. It is known that teaching is a very specific and difficult job. It shouldn't be taken easily. The teacher is a person who is learning as well as teaching all his life. You should know perfectly the subject you teach, you must be well-educated and well-informed. An ignorant teacher teaches ignorance, a fearful teacher teaches fear, a bored teacher teaches boredom. But a good teacher develops in his pupils the burning desire to knowledge. As John Steinbeck once said, a great teacher is a great artist and you know how few great artists there are in the world. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts. It's a great responsibility to bring up children.

Most jobs can be done within the usual office hours from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m., but teacher's work is never done and evenings are usually spent in marking exercise-books and preparing for the next lesson. Teachers do not only teach their subjects. They develop their pupils' intellect, form their views and characters, their attitudes to life and to other people. It's a great responsibility and the teacher must be a model of competence himself. . I think that's the reason why teachers are deeply respected.

It's not as easy as it may seem at first. But I think that love for children combined with the knowledge I'll get at the Academy would be quite enough to succeed in my work and I am sure my dream will come true sooner or later.

Exercise.1 Read the words of the famous American writer John Steinbeck.

Do you share his opinion or not and explain why?

“I’ve come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist…Teaching might ever be the greatest of the arts since its medium is the human mind and the human spirit”.

John Steinbeck.

Exercise.2 There is a number of proverbs and sayings about teachers and pupils. Read them, please. Choose the proverb you like more and comment upon it

1. Better unborn than untaught.

2. Like teacher, like pupil. Каков учитель, таков и ученик

3. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

4. Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.” – Chinese Proverb “Учителя только открывают двери, дальше Вы идете сами.” – китайская пословица

5. “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” – Henry Ford Тот, кто перестает учиться – старик, неважно в двадцать или восемьдесят лет. А кто продолжает учиться – остается юным.

6. Life is what you make it Жизнь такова, какой ты её делаешь

7. Не is not fit to command others that cannot command himself. He может управлять другими тот, кто не в состоянии справиться с самим собой.

Exercise.3 Let’s see what a good teacher should be. What must a teacher know about pupils?

(A teacher must know that students aren’t just boys and girls; everyone is a unique individual who has never been before and will never again exist. They have their own mind and spirit; they are too wondrous to destroy. Teacher is the most important person in their life after parents.)

-A good teacher is one who learns all the time, from life, from colleagues, from students; a professional teacher integrates theory and practice. There are many skills necessary for good teaching. Look through the list of words and choose the skills important for a teacher:

-organizing

-dealing with people

-listening to people

-persuading

-working accurately

-teaching qualifications

-nursing qualifications

-good exam results in “core” subjects

-working hard

-working irregular hours

-working at weekends

-getting up early.

Exercise. 4 Now look at the list of adjectives, translate them and choose what qualities are required for the following professions.