What does your current job involve?

I'm working as Head of Spanish and I absolutely love my job. In the role, as with any teaching role, you need to be resilient, highly organised and incredibly motivated. The best teachers I have met in the profession are those who are the most caring and incredibly determined individuals; they believe that teaching is much more than teaching a subject specialism. Inspiring children to be themselves and helping them mould their individuality is one of the greatest things a person can do.

How has your career developed?

I feel my progress has been down to hard work and luck. I've been very fortunate to work in a range of schools since my PGCE, and to have worked as Head of Spanish and as a Head of Department early on in my career. I think you have to be willing to move and change schools to see which the best fit is for you. I know people who have found the right fit and progressed where they began their career. However, I feel that moving around has helped me grow as a teacher.

Why did you feel that choosing a career in education was important?

I wanted to teach because my Spanish teacher ignited my passion for the culture and the language. It was that passion that I wanted to pass on to others. I feel that teaching is life changing, not just for the students but also for us as teachers. It's an incredibly rewarding profession.

What's the best thing about teaching?

There have been so many moments over the years where I have thought, this is why I teach. Most recently I had a student who was failing Spanish achieve a grade C in his mock assessment, which was an amazing moment for both of us!