Nearly one quarter (24%) of the general public in the North East say they have never experienced ‘a moment that gives them goosebumps’ in their working lives, yet over three-quarters of teachers (77%) nationally 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 across the UK feel proud of the job they do at least once a week. In addition, a higher proportion of teachers nationally (40%) than the nonteaching public in the North East (25%) say those special moments makes the hard work worth it. Over a third of teachers (37%) across the UK 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 24% of the general public in the North East. 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 in Newton Aycliffe to consider using their skills and passion to train to teach.” NCTL provides a comprehensive programme of support to aspiring teachers in the North East, 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.