personal statement on why i want to be a teacher

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Teacher Training Personal Statement Examples

What is a teacher training personal statement?

The teacher training personal statement is your opportunity to let training providers know about your qualities, skills and expertise, and why you want to teach.

While your application form briefly outlines your qualifications, skills and work experience, your teaching personal statement is where your personality shines through.

Take your time with it, be prepared to receive constructive feedback and write a few drafts before you send it off.

How do I write a good teacher training personal statement?

To help you write a successful teacher training personal statement, we recommend you include:

• use examples to back everything up, based on your teaching experience so far
• tailor your personal statement according to the age group you wish to teach
• write using concise English, using first person terms such as 'my' and 'I'
• be original and honest - don't embellish the truth or lie outright
• avoid clichés and general statements, such as 'since a young age' or 'I've always wanted to be a teacher'
• demonstrate your passion and enthusiasm for teaching.

You have up to 4,000 characters to write a memorable opening, middle and conclusion.

Don't waste your valuable space on writing about things that are already on your UCAS form elsewhere, such as your qualifications.

What should I include in my teacher training personal statement?

When planning out your personal statement, ask yourself what it is your training providers are looking for. Make sure your statement answers the following questions:

• Why do I want to teach? - show that you know about the challenges and rewards of teaching, and remember that everything has its ups and downs. Maybe talk about any lessons you have observed/taught, what went well and how you would have improved on them. Discuss teaching styles used and the use of technology in the classroom.
• Why do I want to teach this age group/at this level? - what appeals to you, and what experience do you have teaching these students/children?
• What are my strengths? - include the relevance of your degree and subject knowledge.
• What experience do I have? - include any experience you have of volunteering with children, such as teaching a sports team, youth work or working at a summer camp? Give examples of how this helpd develop your teaching skills.
• What personal skills/abilities do I have? - these might include research, creativity, time management, IT skills, problem solving, managing people, organisational skills, listening skills, leading or working in a team. To strengthen your application, make sure you back everything up with examples.
• Are there are any location restrictions? - if you don't currently live in the UK, why do you want to study here? Are you willing to move away from your current home town/city for your degree?

You only have up to 47 lines (4,000 characters including spaces) in which to persuade your chosen initial teacher training (ITT) providers to offer you an interview. The statement must be concise, enthusiastic and sell your potential to be a successful teacher.

For more help and advice on what to write in your teacher training personal statement, please see:

• Personal Statement Editing Services
• Personal Statement Tips From A Teacher
• Analysis Of A Personal Statement
• The 15th January UCAS Deadline: 4 Ways To Avoid Missing It
• Personal Statement FAQs
• Personal Statement Timeline
• 10 Top Personal Statement Writing Tips
• What To Do If You Miss The 15th January UCAS Deadline.

What is a teacher training degree?

Teacher training degrees combine the study of curriculum subjects with learning teaching techniques and putting these into practice during hands-on school placements. The course leads to QTS (qualified teacher status) to enable you to teach in a school or college.

How long is a teacher training course?

To teach in England and Wales you need to gain QTS. You will obtain this on an ITT programme, which could be school or university-based and takes approximately one year to complete.

How do I become a teacher with a degree?

To teach as a qualified teacher in England, you'll need qualified teacher status (QTS). If you already have a degree, you can complete a postgraduate teacher training course to achieve this. Additionally, you'll need to have a GCSE at grade C/4 in maths and English, as well as science if you want to teach primary.

Can I train to be a teacher without a degree?

Unfortunately no - you cannot become a teacher without a degree.

But if you are an undergraduate or have a degree in a different subject than what you want to teach, there are options to help you get into a teaching career.

Will I get paid for teacher training?

There are three types of funding available for teacher training - depending on your circumstances, you could receive all three:

• Tax-free bursary or scholarship.
• Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan.
• Extra financial support if you're a parent, have an adult dependant or a disability.

Further information

For more tips and advice on teacher training personal statements, please see:

• GetIntoTeaching
• The Complete University Guide

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Teacher training interview questions.

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6 Personal Statement Writing Tips

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How to write the perfect teaching personal statement

Application and interview, tes editorial.

When applying for a new job, you may be competing with tens or hundreds of other applicants in a race for the role.

The HR manager or headteacher recruiting for the job will be scrutinising every detail of your application to make sure they are bringing in the right people for interview.

The application form is the first hurdle you have to get over and sets the first impression of you as a person in the recruiter’s mind.

• Advice on honing your job search
• How to write a personal statement for teacher training
• How to write a must-read CV

The personal statement: why does it matter? 

The personal statement presents the perfect opportunity to show you are an exceptional candidate, understand teaching and know the school you are applying to.

It is not an easy task and is a tricky thing to get right. It requires being concise and clear – it shouldn’t be too long or read like a list.

You should talk about yourself and your professional achievements, while at the same time apply those experiences to the school itself.

We spoke to Malcolm Trobe, deputy general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders , about what goes into the perfect personal statement. Here's what he said:

What does a great teaching personal statement look like?

"In general, I would say no longer than two sides of A4 – typescript. It needs to be well structured and linked to the specific school. It will need to include a number of key areas, including behavioural management, educational philosophy, subject expertise, pedagogy, personal organisation and skills and enrichment activities that the candidate can bring."

What should it contain?

"I would recommend that candidates include three elements in each of the key areas:

• What their beliefs/philosophy/approach is – i.e., the theory
• Their experience in that area
• How they would use that experience in the school they are applying to and specific to the job they are applying for

The statement should also include something personal in terms of their outside interests to indicate that they live an interesting and well-balanced life."

What are school leaders looking to read in a good personal statement?

"They will want to see something of the person’s character come through. It must not be just a list of achievements or repeat of the CV. It needs to be well-written, error-free and mention the school they are applying for – but not too many times. It should read as if it has been specifically written for the school and job they are applying for. I would be looking for something similar to the approach I have indicated above, covering all of the key areas and indicating that they have a vocation for working with young people. Somehow I would like to see a ‘generosity of spirit’ come through in the statement."

How can a candidate stand out in a personal statement?

"A good personal statement needs to include something of the person themselves. It has to make the reader believe that the candidate has something special without bragging or appearing arrogant – but something a bit above what other candidates may offer. A really good introduction and ending are important, and it's worth spending a great deal of time crafting those sections of the statement. Hook the reader in at the beginning and finish on a high note so that they want to meet the person and explore what has been written."

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19 Top Ideas for a “Why I want to be a Teacher” Essay

Here are the 19 best reasons you would want to be a teacher that you can include in your essay:

• To help children learn more effectively.
• To ensure children have positive mentors.
• To improve children’s lives.
• To help future generations solve the problems of today.
• To help the future generations become good citizens.
• To inspire future generations to create a more equal world.
• To give back to the community I grew up in.
• To be a part of helping my community thrive.
• To be a part of my community’s decision-making processes.
• Because you have the patience for working with children.
• Because you have compassion for children.
• Because you want to learn from children.
• Because you’re enthusiastic about learning.
• Because you are a generous person.
• Because you’re interested in learning how to teach difficult students.
• Because you’re interested in learning how to work with difficult parents.
• Because you’re interested in learning diverse strategies for teaching,
• Because you’re interested in learning to master classroom management.
• Because you’re interested in learning what works and what doesn’t in teaching.

The ‘Why I want to be a teacher’ essay is all about showing you have thought in-depth about what a teacher does and what their role is in society. It’s also about showing you think you’d be a good person to conduct that role.

The 9 Tips are split into five categories. You can scan this whole post or browse through the categories here:

This essay is hard to get right.

Most students write the exact same thing as one another with the same old cliché statements like “because I love kids” (ugh, wrong answer!). If you do this, your teacher will just give you an average grade (or worse).

You need your essay on “why you want to be a teacher” to be different – indeed excellent – so it stands out for your teacher.

I’ll show you how.

Why should you listen to me? Well, I’ve been teaching university students in education departments for 8 years. In that time I’ve marked several thousand essays by people aiming to become teachers. I know what essays get top marks and which ones are average. I also know exactly what mistakes students make that make their essays seem … dull.

So, let me get you started out by introducing 19 points that you should make in your essay on why you want to be a teacher. I’ll break these 19 points down into 5 separate categories. Check them out below.

Read Also: Is Being a Teacher Worth It? (Why I Quit a Good Job)

1. Definitely do not say “because kids are fun”. Do this instead.

The word ‘fun’ is a big red flag for markers. Too many people want to become teachers because they think it would be a fun profession. Or, they might think that they want to help children have fun . No, no, no.

This is an incorrect answer in your essay about why you want to become a teacher.

Yes, teaching is fun a lot of the time. And it is really nice to see students having fun based on activities you’ve set for them.

But society isn’t paying you to have fun, or even to make children have fun. You’re not going to be a child minder, aunt, uncle or clown. You’re going to be a professional who has a bigger social purpose than having fun.

Now, a lot of students say to me “But, students learn more when they’re having fun.” Sure, that might be true – but it’s not a central reason for teaching.

If making learning more fun is genuinely a reason why you decided to become a teacher, then you need to frame it in a way that shows the importance of teaching for the good of students. Here’s three better ways to say ‘because kids are fun’; for each on, we can start with “I want to become a teacher because…”:

• I want to help children learn more effectively. You could say something like: …When I was in school, learning was hard and I therefore hated teaching. There were a lot of teachers who seemed uninspired and uninterested in whether their children are learning. I was inspired to become a teacher so I could help children like myself to learn in ways that are engaging, motivating and inspiring.
• I want to ensure children have positive mentors. You could say something like: …Many children in the world don’t have positive mentors at home. A teacher is often the one person in a child’s life who is a stable mentor that the child can lean upon. I chose to become a teacher because I believe all children need a positive mentor that instils in them an interest in the world and a belief that they can make something of themselves.
• I want to improve children’s lives. You could say something like: …Being a teacher will give me the power to make children’s lives better. Learning opens doors to new opportunities, ways of thinking and paths in life that children wouldn’t have had before me. I am inspired by the idea of helping a child who is sad, uncertain and lacks confidence to see their own potential for creating a fulfilling life for themselves.

All three of those ideas still skirt around the idea that helping children have fun is something you want to see happen, but they also point out that there’s something deeper here than the idea that children should have fun: they should have fun for a reason. That reason could be so they learn more, develop an interest in the world, or see that their lives are full of potential.

Note that in my three examples above, I never used the word ‘fun’: it’s too much of a red flag for your markers.

2. Explain how teaching helps the world! Here’s how.

Have you ever heard someone say that ‘Teaching is a noble profession’? Well, it is. And this is something you really should be talking about in your essay on why you want to become a teacher.

Your teacher will be impressed by your understanding that teaching is a profession that keeps the world turning. Without teachers, where would we be? Probably back in the dark ages where people couldn’t read or write, technology wasn’t advancing very quickly at all, and people mostly lived in ignorance of their world.

So, being a teacher is has a bigger social purpose. As a teacher, you’ll be an important piece of society. You’ll be one of the army of tens – no, hundreds – of thousands of people helping future generations to propel our world towards better days. Below are some ways teaching helps the world. You can start these off with “I want to become a teacher because…”

• I want to help future generations solve the problems of today. Being a teacher gives you the opportunity to propel students to greater heights. The children in your classrooms will be the people who solve climate change (oh, goodness, I hope so!), create the technologies to make our lives more comfortable, and get us out of the ecological, economic and political messes we seem to have gotten ourselves into!
• I want to help the future generations become good citizens. There’s a concept called the ‘ hidden curriculum ’. This concept points to the fact that children learn more at school than what’s in the tests. They also learn how to get along, manners, democratic values and the importance of sharing. These soft skills are more than just a by-product of education. They’re incredibly important for showing our students how to get along in our society.
• I want to inspire future generations to create a more equal world. A lot of what we talk about at school are moral issues: what’s the right and wrong thing to do? How do our actions ensure or hinder equality of races, genders and social classes? As a teacher, you will be instilling in children the idea that the decisions they make will lead to a more or less equal world. And of course, we all want a more equal world for our children.

These points are some higher-order points that will help you teacher see that you’re becoming a teacher for more than ‘fun’. You’re becoming a teacher because you see the noble purpose in teaching. If you do this right, you’ll surely impress your teacher.

3. Discuss your commitment to community. Here’s how.

Teachers are at the center of communities. Parents take their children to school, drop them off, then go to work. They busily get on with their jobs: architect, shop assistant, nurse, builder, and so on… Then, they all come back at the end of the day to collect their children from school.

School is one of the few things that brings all of these different members of a community together. Parents gather around the pick up location to gather their kids, and there they stand around and chat about sports and politics and community issues.

School is at the heart of community.

And you, as a teacher, will be one of the respected members of that community: there to serve all the members of the community by helping to raise their children with the values of the community in which you live.

You can talk about this as a central reason why you want to be a teacher. How about you start off with: “I want to become a teacher because…”

• I want to give back to the community I grew up in. You could say …I grew up in a close-knit community where we all looked out for one another. Being a teacher will give me the opportunity to give back to my friends and mentors in the town who need someone to raise their children who they trust will do a great job.
• I want to be a part of helping my community thrive. You could talk about how you are from a growing community that needs good quality, respectable people who will educate future members of your community. As a teacher, you will be at the heart of ensuring your local town remains a great place to live.
• I want to be a part of my community’s decision-making processes. Teachers hold a certain authority: they know how students learn, and they usually have a very deep understanding of what is best for children in order to ensure they thrive. You can talk about how you want to become a person with deep knowledge about the children in your community so you can help guide you community’s decisions around how to raise their young people.

Note that in this group of ideas, ‘community’ represents the close-knit town in which you live, whereas in point 2, I talked about ‘society’, which was the bigger picture of the future of our nation or world rather than just your town.

4. Discuss the personality traits you think you can bring to the role. Here’s how.

You should show how you have reflected on the requirements of the role of teaching and thought about whether you have the personality traits that are required.

Why? Well, you need to be able to show that you know what being a teacher is all about… and that you think you’d be good at it.

So, let’s dive in to 5 personality traits that teachers have, and how you can show you have those traits:

• Patience. Patience is an enormously popular skill for teachers to have. You’ll have kids who just don’t understand concepts one iota, and you’ve got to sit there and work with them until they get it. It’s tedious, let me tell you!
• Compassion. Patience and compassion go hand-in-hand. If you don’t feel empathy for the kid who’s struggling super hard at learning, you’ll get pretty mad and just give up. You might also say some mean things to the kid! So, compassion is really necessary if you want to become a good teacher.
• Open minded. Teachers always need to be learning new things. We often talk about the importance of learning with students more than directly teaching If you set a student a task, you’ll be sending them out to gather as much information on the topic as possible. They’ll often come back with new knowledge and you will want to praise them for teaching you something new.
• Enthusiasm. Let me tell you, when it’s Wednesday afternoon in the middle of a hot school week and everyone’s depressed and flat there’s one person to rally the troops: you! Teachers need to wake up every morning, put their happy face on, and march into the classroom with boundless enthusiasm. It’ll motivate your students and make them feel welcome in the learning environment.
• Generosity. You need to be generous with your time and praise. You need to be constantly thinking about the students in your care and doing anything you can to help them learn, instil in them a love of learning, and give them the confidence to try anything. Teachers need to be very generous people.

There’s a ton more traits that make a good teacher that you can talk about. These are just a few. Go forth and learn more, and add them to your essay!

5. Conclude with the things you still need to learn. Here’s how.

One more thing: good teachers are constantly learning. As someone studying to be a teacher, you need to remember that there’s a long way to go before you have all the answers. Heck, I’ve been a teacher for nearly a decade and I’m not even half way towards knowing everything about being a good teacher.

So, conclude your essay by highlighting that you understand what the role of a teacher is in society and the key competencies required of a teacher; but then go further and mention your enthusiasm to learn more about the profession over the coming years.

Here’s 5 things you can mention that you still need to learn:

• How to teach difficult students. Some students hate school – mostly because of their terrible experiences in the past. You need to learn to get through to difficult students, and this takes time and patience to learn the art of inspiring the uninspired.
• How to work with difficult parents. Oh boy, you’ll have a lot of these. You can highlight this as one of the key things you want to work on in the coming years: again, you’ll need to draw on that skill of patience (as well as the skill of diplomacy ) when it comes time to deal with an angry parent.
• Diverse strategies for teaching. There are a lot of different ways to go about teaching. Over the years you’ll pick up on the various strategies and tricks different teachers have to help children learn.
• Classroom management. This is one of the hardest things young teachers need to learn. And really, it just takes time. Discuss how this is something you want to focus on, and how you’ll use mentors to really work on this skill.
• What works and what doesn’t. Great teachers have this intuitive knowledge about what works and what doesn’t, all based upon their deep experience and trial-and-error. The only way to learn to teach is to do it. Over the coming years, you’ll be learning about this. A lot.

You’ll only need one or two paragraphs on this final point, but it’s a great way to end your essay on why you want to become a teacher. It’ll show your humility and eagerness to take on one of the noblest professions in the world.

If you want to learn to write a top notch conclusion, you might also like my post on the 5 C’s Conclusion method .

Before you finish up your essay, you might want to check out my awesome posts on how to improve your essays, like these ones:

• How to write a killer Introduction
• My perfect paragraph formula , and
• How to edit your essay like a pro .

I promised 19 thoughtful points to make in your essay about why you want to be a teacher. Here they are, all summed up in one final list:

• Say you want to help children learn more effectively.
• Say you want to ensure children have positive mentors.
• Say you want to improve children’s lives.
• Say you want to help future generations solve the problems of today.
• Say you want to help the future generations become good citizens.
• Say you want to inspire future generations to create a more equal world.
• Say you want to give back to the community you grew up in.
• Say you want to be a part of helping your community thrive.
• Say you want to be a part of your community’s decision-making processes.
• Say you want to share your patience with your students.
• Say you want to share your compassion with your students.
• Say you want to learn from your students (be ‘open minded’)
• Say you want to share your enthusiasm for learning with your students.
• Say you want to share your generosity with your students.
• Say you’re interested in learning how to teach difficult students.
• Say you’re interested in learning how to work with difficult parents.
• Say you’re interested in learning diverse strategies for teaching,
• Say you’re interested in learning to master classroom management.
• Say you’re interested in learning what works and what doesn’t in teaching.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons

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Free Examples of Effective Teaching Personal Statement

Table of Contents

The personal statement is an important part of the teaching application process. It allows you to provide information about yourself that doesn’t appear in your resume or transcripts.

When writing your personal statement, be sure to focus on the qualities that make you a good teacher. Before giving you  examples of personal statements for teaching jobs , we have a few tips to help you.

Important Tips for Writing a Personal Statement for a Teaching Job

When creating your personal statement , it’s important to remember why you want to become a teacher. We dive further into this and more in this section of the article.

Start With Why You Chose Teaching As a Profession

What do you love about teaching? What drives you? Define what makes a great teacher for you and explain how your experiences have prepared you for this career.

Be specific and honest in describing both your strengths and weaknesses as they relate to teaching. Ultimately, the goal is for the recruiter to understand why you’re the best choice for the job.

Explain How You Have Developed This Passion

Your statement should explain how you developed your passion for teaching. Choosing teaching as a profession isn’t enough. How did you nurture this passion?

Describe Any Experience You Have Had Working With Students

You need to describe your previous experience working with students. Doing this helps demonstrate your ability to handle students and work in a school environment.

Highlight Your Strengths and Skills As They Relate to Teaching

Don’t be shy to highlight your teaching strengths and skills. You’re competing with others for the job. Only qualified candidates with skills related to the job get interviewed. Highlight any experience or qualifications that are relevant to the role.

Tailor the Statement to the Job Description

Like any job opening, be sure to read the job description. This helps ensure you tailor your personal statement specifically for the position you’re applying for . 

It is unbecoming for a teacher to submit a statement full of errors. Proofread and edit your statement carefully before submitting it.

Examples of Personal Statements for Teaching Jobs

We have some of the best examples of personal statements for teaching jobs for you. Read through to see what your personal statement should look like.

Teaching has been a lifelong passion of mine. I began working with children as soon as I was old enough to volunteer in my local Sunday school program. Since then, I have continued to work with students of all ages in many different settings, including public schools, after-school programs and summer camps. My experience has taught me that nothing is more rewarding than helping young people learn and grow. 

I am confident that my skills and passion for teaching would make me an excellent educator. In addition to having classroom experience, I possess strong organizational and communication skills, which are essential for successfully managing a classroom environment.

Above all, however, what makes me an ideal teacher is my dedication to the success of each individual student. Every child deserves the opportunity to find their own unique strengths and passions. It is my goal as a teacher always be there to help them discover these things within themselves.

I am a compassionate and dedicated teacher with years of experience in the field. Above all, I believe that teaching is not simply a profession. Rather, it is a calling that allows me to share my knowledge and help others learn and grow. 

My approach is student-centered. I adapt my instruction to meet their unique needs while fostering an environment where they can feel comfortable taking risks and making mistakes. In addition to having strong classroom management skills, I have a proven track record of developing engaging curricula tailored for students at different levels. Ultimately, I view teaching as an opportunity not only to impart important academic knowledge but instill lifelong values such as curiosity, resilience, and compassion.

It’s always nerve-racking to go through the application process for a teaching job. If you put some thought into it, it becomes easier. Focus on what’s important: the skills, strengths, and experience that make you right for the job. 

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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How to get into teaching

How to write your teacher training personal statement

Your teacher training personal statement should express why you'd make a great teacher and spell out your experiences, qualities and skills. We've got the inside track from Admissions Tutors on how to go about writing a good teacher training personal statement, what to do and what not to overlook...

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Let's start with a look at when to apply for teacher training. Places on teacher training courses are filled on a first come first serve basis. This is due to two factors. Firstly, the Department for Education set the maximum number of trainees on some courses. But the thing that really limits the number of places available is ensuring that there are enough school placements for all trainees. Training providers can only recruit up to a number that is manageable in terms of providing the trainees with the placement experiences they need.

Places for the most popular subjects tend to go early, for example, Physical Education (PE), Primary and Psychology. Shortage subjects such as Chemistry, Computing, Maths and Physics don’t fill up so fast.

The route you are taking into teaching may also influence when you apply. School Direct is run by the schools themselves and they can only take as many trainees as they can train within their schools. They may only have the one place available for your chosen subject and once those placements are gone, they’re gone. Universities tend to have larger and wider networks of partner schools which provide school placements. This gives them more options for finding school placements so they may have places available for longer. Unlike School Direct you don’t get to choose exactly which school you go to, though they’ll try to match your school placements to your preferences as much as possible. If you apply late you run the risk that all the placements are gone.

So, you want to apply as soon as you can, with a brilliant personal statement that reflects who you are and why you want to become a teacher. So, what does that look like?

Your teacher training personal statement broadly needs to convey four things:

• Your passion for wanting to become a teacher and commitment to the profession.
• Your reasons for wanting to teach your chosen subject.
• The skills and experience that you’ll bring to the role of teacher.
• Your awareness of the realities of what lies ahead - it’s a challenging but rewarding role so you need to be realistic about this and be aware of some of the hot topics facing the sector.

Kate Brimacombe, Associate Professor of Education and Associate Director of the Teacher Education Partnership at Plymouth Marjon University, explains what she is looking for in a teacher training personal statement:

“It's really lovely to get something that's individual and firstly I want to see that passion for wanting to work with children. You absolutely can get that across - it comes off the page.

“It can’t feel half-hearted, it needs to feel committed. If independence, motivation, and self-reliance don’t sing off the page, then that's an error in a sense. You need to get your personality into the written word, I’m looking for that fire that says ‘this is absolutely what I want to do’. One common mistake is being too short so that it doesn’t get that passion across. The lack of content and desire are the main reasons I don't shortlist candidates.”

You must convey why you want to teach your subject. What is your expertise? Why do you love it? What are the challenges facing teachers of your subject? Why do you want to teach this? Think about the age group you’ll be teaching and discuss why you want to teach them. What relevant experience do you have? How does your experience to date influence your thinking?

Ultimately, you’ve got to inspire others to love your subject, so be clear about how your own relationship to it is going to enable this.

The ingredients of a convincing teacher training personal statement are:

• Passion for teaching. Express your drive and fire on the page.
• Be individual. Stand out in a positive light; one tip here is not to waste characters on quotes, they don’t say anything about you.
• Convey your desire to work with children. Explain where this comes from.
• Prove it. Include the things you have actively done, what you’ve learnt from real life experiences in schools and/or working with children, and what you got out of it.
• Demonstrate the qualities of a teacher. Point out your commitment, empathy, independence, innovation, motivation, patience, self-reliance, and tip-top organisation skills.
• Depth. Don’t cut it too short, you’re allowed up to 4000 characters which is around 600-700 words, so write until you’re thereabouts, and then edit it so that it reads even better.

In addition, for a strong personal statement you’ll want to demonstrate some awareness of the national curriculum for your subject and then highlight how your subject knowledge maps to it.

Back to Kate for another crucial tip: “The other big thing is that we’re checking the accuracy of your spelling and grammar, it must be correct if you’re going to be a teacher. To be fair, we don't get a lot of mistakes because I think people understand that expectations around written and verbal communication are high in teaching.”

Some aspiring teachers know they want to teach but are uncertain on the age group or subject. For example, maybe you love sport and are keen to be a secondary PE teacher, but you also enjoy working with younger children at sports clubs so you’re feeling split. In this scenario, try to settle this before you apply but if you can’t then write honestly about the situation and take extra care to ensure that neither option comes across being the fallback one that you’re not really committed to.

The magic ingredient: Examples from your own experience

There's no one way to structure your teacher training personal statement but be sure to back up every point you make with evidence. A great way to do this is give real life examples of what you actually did, and what you learned from it. It’s not enough to just list your work experience, you need to explain what you learned and how this experience will help you as a teacher.

You don’t need school experience to apply for a teaching course, though it helps. But if you don’t have school experience then you at least need some transferable skills, so any other experience of working with children is valid here, things like helping with sports teams and youth clubs are valid too. Use your examples to demonstrate the skills you’d bring to the role of teacher.

You could also refer to a teacher who made a difference to you at school, or who influenced your love of working with children and helping them to learn.

By discussing examples, you can also demonstrate that you are realistic about the role, in that is challenging as well as rewarding. For example, you might discuss a session you observed or taught, reflecting on what went well, how you adapted to the situation and how you would improve on it.

This is how to make effective use of real life examples, according to Julie Stevens, course leader for PGCE Secondary Education at Plymouth Marjon University: “I want to read about how you’ve helped a pupil to make progress. What did you change? How did you recognise they weren’t learning? What did you adapt to help them understand? Maybe you modelled it or talked it through? How did the child respond? You might talk for example about why a child was messing around or why a seating chart was put together in a certain way. It’s really encouraging when a candidate offers insights into teaching and that sense of self-reflection”.

You can talk about that examples that demonstrate transferable skills. For example, maybe you had to be resilient to get your Duke of Edinburgh award, maybe you’re a leader on the sports field or maybe you’re a dedicated musician with the music exams to prove it?

In addition, the way you talk about children is really important, the training provider needs to know that you see them as individuals and that you want to help them become independent thinkers. Back to Julie again for more about this: “I want to see candidates who talk about children as individuals and how you can help them make the best progress they can. Helping young people to make decisions for themselves and become independent learners, so that they take responsibility for their own success is essential for adulthood.

"It’s great when someone can talk about innovative things, like how to use social media for good outcomes. Anything like that is powerful because it means they understand our role as educators – we aren’t just filling them with knowledge, we're trying to get children and young people to understand how to develop themselves.”

Get your referee geared up

References really do matter. Julie and Kate report that in practice most of barriers to shortlisting a candidate come not from the personal statement, but from references that are too short. They’ve seen references as short as three lines and that doesn’t tell them enough about you and your suitability for a career in teaching. You could be an impressive candidate, but you can’t be offered a place until your reference checks out.

If you’re applying for undergraduate teacher training through UCAS then one reference is required. If you’re applying for postgraduate teacher training then you’ll need two references. If you’re at university, or have been within the past five years, then one reference must be from someone at your university. The other reference can be from someone who knows you from work, and if you’re applying for School Direct then one of your references must come from your current employer.

A good reference says good things about you and backs up some of qualities and skills you’ve outlined in your personal statement. Your referee needs to talk about your character and why they think you could be a great teacher. The training provider is looking for insight; a different perspective on you, and hopefully one that that verifies the impressions they’re taking from your statement.

You can do a lot to make sure your reference is on point. First ask your referees if they are willing to be your referee and if they think you’ve got the potential to be a good teacher. Next you need to arm them with all the arguments as to why you’ll be a good teacher, they probably don’t know everything you do. Ideally they would read your personal statement so that they can write a reference that complements it.

If applicable, ask your referee to comment on your academic abilities, including your predicted grades. If possible, go through the reference with your referee as you might see something they’ve missed. If so, ask if they are willing to add it, it’s up to them but you can suggest things.

A good teacher training personal statement shows passion and love for teaching, as well as that you’ve done some research and that you’re dedicated to teaching career. Show your personality; show them the teacher you could be. @marjonuni

Back to Kate for closing advice: “Speak with honesty and speak from the heart. I’m looking for passion. I'm looking for somebody I think the has the potential. Then when you come to interview, I already know that you have that passion and so you just need to add the shine to that and tell us more about it in-person, one to one. In that way your teacher training personal statement is the stepping stone into the interview, if it does its job then we’ll be excited to find out more about you”.

You’ve got this. Follow the advice above and you’ll have a brilliant teacher training personal statement in the bag. The next step will be your teacher training interview, so why not check out our articles on how to ace your teacher training interview and teacher training interview questions .

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Personal statement for PGCE secondary

If you want to teach children aged 11 and over you'll need to apply through the Department for Education's (DfE) Apply for teacher training service

This example should be used for guidance only. Copying any of this text could significantly harm your chances of securing a place on a course.

Example personal statement for PGCE secondary

I became interested in teaching after realising how much I had benefited from excellent and passionate teachers. They exuded a real sense of enthusiasm for learning, which inspires me to pass on that passion.

My love for computing developed during my A-levels after discovering an aptitude for programming and networking. This drove me to study more, going on to gain a 2:1 in BSc Computer Systems and Network Engineering from the University of England. Studying at university developed my passion for computer sciences and taught me a range of transferable skills that I believe are fundamentally important to teach young people. This is demonstrated in my dissertation, which was awarded a first, investigating The Internet of Things (IoT) and how it can help shape educational establishments of the future.

While at university I decided to volunteer as a teaching assistant in a mainstream school. By my final year I was able to take responsibility for running activities in the classroom, balancing the needs of each child and managing behaviour issues. In addition, I regularly helped run the lunchtime computer club. In working with more vulnerable students such as SEN learners I saw the role played by support staff in maintaining control of the classroom, particularly with those who can be disruptive when under stimulated. I learned the importance of differentiating lesson plans to educate and engage students with special needs and the power of strategies such as a well thought out seating plan and friendly competitiveness in learners. I saw students develop within the classroom as a result of my determined support and these good working relationships are beginning to result in higher grades. I have liaised well across several departments to communicate information about students in an organised and diplomatic way.

One highlight was when I supported a young person with ADHD who attended computer club. They had been struggling to remain focussed and on task in class but were able to focus well when completing tasks on a computer. As a result, they suffered from poor behaviour, disengagement and low self-esteem. I negotiated with some class teachers to allow this pupil to use a tablet during their lessons. The pupil could then access any PowerPoint presentations being delivered to enable them to go back and reread specific slides. They could also access links to visual resources to enhance their understanding of the subject being taught. Homework was posted online for them to complete and submit electronically. This was such a success that the school invested in more tablets to be used by a range of students across the school. This further inspired me to want to become a teacher to enable me to support others who may be facing barriers to learning that could be tackled through the introduction of technology.

To support my professional development further I undertook short work placements in two other schools. Volunteering in Key Stages 1 and 2 confirmed my desire to teach Key Stages 3 and 4. I became aware of the many demands placed upon teachers and their time and I believe that the project management, communication and problem-solving skills gained during my degree will be invaluable assets within the classroom and beyond. I was exposed to a range of pedagogical models and teaching methods, which is something I look forward to learning more about on a PGCE.

One of my hobbies is to make short films about how to use different forms of technology and software packages. I post these on YouTube as instructional videos. These have proved to be very popular and I am considering how I can use this type of activity to benefit the students I teach. One option is to support students to create their own videos to help deepen their understanding of a subject, which they can then choose to upload to the school's virtual learning environment to aid their peers if they wish.

During school placements I witnessed the challenges and rewards present in a school environment. Teachers need to be resilient particularly when working with students who find school difficult, do not want to engage and do not want to accept support. However, I look forward to working in the education system and believe I could help and inspire students to develop their future aspirations.

While researching for my dissertation I spoke with secondary school teachers about the challenges their students faced and one that came up often was digital poverty. In many inner-city schools, pupils do not always have access to up to date and reliable computer technology to allow them to keep up with the advances in technology that they’ll face when seeking employment. One of my aims would be to investigate how the use of integrated technologies, as well as fostering links with local companies and the community, could result in a cost-effective solution allowing all students equal access to computer technology.

Technology has become its own form of literacy due to its prevalence in everyday life. Numerous careers use at least one aspect of Microsoft Office or Google Drive daily; balancing budgets on spreadsheets, creating slides to be presented, or attaching documents to emails to communicate important information. Allowing students to learn and refine these skills prepares them for life beyond the classroom.

With technology being present in many classrooms, and not just to teach computing skills, the introduction of the IoT could enhance learning activities even more. It could provide improved connectivity, introduce artificial intelligence and virtual reality to the learning environment as well as cloud computing platforms. I am excited about the future of education and how I can be an active part of it.

When writing your personal statement, you need to include:

• What inspired you to choose teaching.
• Why you wish to teach at secondary level.
• Your knowledge of the pressures and rewards of teaching.
• The personal qualities and skills that will make you a good teacher.
• How you might contribute to the wider school environment such as running extra-curricular activities and clubs.
• Any experience of working with children and what you learnt through doing this.
• Evidence of your knowledge related to the subject you hope to teach.
• Any relevant work or unpaid experience.
• Your degree, degree modules and dissertation topic where relevant.
• Any relevant skills, hobbies and achievements.

Find out more

• Read all about applying for teacher training .
• Get prepared with our teaching interview questions .
• See more examples of teaching personal statements .

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Example Personal Statement for Teaching

by Talha Omer, MBA, M.Eng., Harvard & Cornell Grad

In personal statement samples by field.

Here is an example personal statement of an applicant who got admitted to Masters of Arts in Teaching. For personal statement, the university posed several questions to the applicant, which the admissions committee expects to be answered in an essay form. The program provides these personal statement prompts to encourage students to self-reflect and then to share their insights with the program.

The following essays are an example of a compelling story and reflect the original voice and personality of the applicant. Get inspiration from them and try to incorporate their strengths into your own personal statement.

In this Article

Personal Statement Prompt 1

Personal statement prompt 2, personal statement prompt 3, personal statement prompt 4, personal statement prompt 5, personal statement prompt 6.

Please tell us briefly about the school where you teach and the community it serves. Who are your students? What do they do when they finish school? What kind of work do their parents do?

Life in rural areas is lonely, and the poverty rate is extremely high compared to life in urban areas. I teach in a roadside rural school where all my students come from poor families and are villagers. My school serves a community where most parents are uneducated and unemployed. Most family members work on agricultural lands and some work in urban areas as janitors, security officers and labourers.

Being the only girl’s school in the area, students from adjoining hilly areas come to school on foot, walking 15-20 kilometres daily. There are a handful of schools for girls that impart primary education. Because of these schools, awareness of the benefits of education have increased in the local community. Consequently, people have now started to send their children to schools in bigger numbers. 

Poorly educated children are the source of adult functional illiteracy, which is the primary feeder of poorly educated children. However, girls who got educated in my area eventually became educated mothers and are raising healthier families. This has reduced the vicious intergenerational cycle of functional illiteracy.

Why do you want to enrol in the Masters of Arts in Teaching Program?

Mexico now has an overall literacy rate of only 29%, with rural literacy at a staggering low of 11%. Last year, over two million children dropped out before secondary school, nearly twice Washington, DC’s total population. Even worse, we do not have enough qualified teachers to fill the void in every village or district. This bankrupt education system is ripe for creative disruption, and I plan to do that. Universal quality education is an unattainable dream for rural children because they do not have access to quality teachers and resources. Worse, most of them cannot attend school regularly because they must support their family by working in agricultural fields or households. This work commitment at such a ripe age makes formal education impossible.

Though most girls are forced into early marriage in my area, I was lucky enough to continue my studies after high school. Later I travelled to a much bigger city to get higher education. Unfortunately, there was no college for girls in our village back then. In the city, however, females were educated and valued for their achievements.

At college, I met an English teacher who later became my inspiration. She opened the outside world to me, instilled confidence in me and taught me the things that interest me. She knew my background and told me to take teaching as a profession so that I could educate my community and bring some change. She gave me all the strength and motivation to carry on. In addition, she made me fall in love with the subject of English and Communication.

I didn’t get quality education at the school level since our teachers were either absent from the class or lacked expertise in English language abilities. These factors deeply affected my early learning of English, and since languages are harder to learn later in life, it became a massive barrier. But with the help of my newfound urban teacher, I was able to learn and affirm my ability in this field. My teacher shaped my destiny and encouraged me to enlighten my mind. The day I started to teach was when life started to make sense. It was indeed a golden chance for me to follow in the footsteps of my great English teacher and offer my best services to the people of my village. The condition of schools and teachers in my village is alarming; teachers lack quality education and are ill-equipped. Sometimes students waste all day at school without learning a word. Through my experiences, I’ve seen and learnt a lot about where the deficiency is and where to work for betterment.

I imagine a Mexico where better teachers in rural areas can evolve rural education. It’s already starting to happen in some areas – such as Teach for Mexico – and I want to become a part of something similar. It’s not just about resources. It’s about optimizing them to increase productivity and rethinking what’s possible. I want to dedicate my profession to my village’s people so they can get quality education. I have realized and understood that education is essential to succeed for the less fortunate. I’ve always strived to educate students and their parents, so they know the value of education.

Deep down inside, there’s a feeling in my heart and a voice in my head that I must do something now so that I leave a legacy amongst my village people when I die. Villagers have magical energy and zest for life, especially girls. I see more passion for doing.

I would say life is not meant for me to watch it and just pass by. I’m here to make a difference in the life of my students. I firmly believe that a teacher who successfully combines advanced teaching strategies with resilience is the catalyst for our educational development. I intend to be one of these teachers, and further education is vital to making this a reality.

Please list what activities you have pursued inside and outside the classroom to maintain your professional training as an educator. In addition, please list professional organizations that you are a member of and relevant work in your community outside of school.

To keep students engaged, I believe in creating a relaxed learning culture in the classroom. Moreover, to ensure that students don’t get bored, I develop interactive lessons that are relevant to students. It is important to note that in rural schools, many external factors are at play — poverty, neighbourhood violence, family discord etc. These inevitably contribute to student disengagement. I implement several interventions to reduce the effects of negative external influences. In my case, increasing parental involvement, extracurricular activities, and improving school safety have enhanced student engagement.

Moreover, I engage my students by immersing them in the actual situation. For example, in a class about history, I put students in the position of historical figures and asked them how they would feel and act. Finally, outside the classroom, I actively engage students in co-curricular activities that positively impact their academic, social, physical, and emotional growth.

Describe an occasion when you led by example in your school and community.

One of the most challenging situations I have ever faced as a leader was whether to replace Matthew, a top student in our undergraduate class and my close friend, with another suitable member. The decision arrived after our first two project phases went terribly because of his unprofessional attitude toward Matthew. I was under a lot of pressure from my other three team members to decide – we were a devoted team committed to our goal, but this vision did not fit Matthew.

Although highly talented, Matthew did only the minimum necessary and was unwilling to make any sacrifices and commit to our goal. I faced a tough decision. On the one hand, firing a talented and top student at a time when most other team members were not accomplished seemed unwise. On the other hand, not replacing him would mean establishing double standards for the rest of the team. His opposition to the change had already begun creating undesired effects, as a few of the team members resented him.

To solve the problem, I took drastic steps to make Matthew relate to the new goals and change his attitude. In addition, I also improved the team’s reward system based on his comments to reward the extra efforts. I started encouraging him to participate fully by inviting his input and suggestions on improving things. As a result, matters were significantly enhanced, and I succeeded in building the right team to lead the project forward. Matthew became motivated again, and with him, I had a team that could reach the ambitious goals we set, and indeed, in 4 months, we had posited the best final-year project of the year.

What skills and experience do you hope to gain from participating in the graduate program, and how will these benefit you and your school once you have completed the program? Describe at least two ways you will share these skills with your school and/or community.

The master’s program will help me explore new teaching methodologies and lesson planning, which are the prerequisites in teaching. I can improve my student’s learning skills only if I’m well-prepared. Participating in the graduate program would be an overwhelming experience, as it will enhance my teaching skills more profoundly. In addition, I would gain knowledge and understanding of US culture, which will help me build my confidence and communication skills through interaction with cosmopolitan people – a trait essential for any English teacher. Teachers like me who work in remote areas need to broaden their vision through master’s programs. I am confident that this program will enable me to re-evaluate my teaching abilities.

High-quality teachers are fundamental to good education. Through the graduate program in teaching, I will be able to develop my student’s basic communication skills better than I currently can. In addition, I want to produce students who can compete globally. Finally, I will share my knowledge and experience with students, colleagues, and other schoolteachers with whom I regularly interact through monthly inter-school meetings and community functions.

There is a massive discrepancy in the quality of teaching resources between urban and rural schools, but I’m very committed and not afraid to seek out new challenges. Hopefully, if I’m selected for this program, one of my biggest dreams of bringing change to the lives of my people will come true, and the space of deprivation will be filled up. I will return with a new perspective on culture, language, and teaching skills.

How do you plan/design your lessons? How did your students receive the lesson, and how did you assess your students’ learning?

Class: Grade 7th to 10th

Subject: English    

Time: 40-45 minutes   

Aims:  A lesson plan is the instructor’s road map of what students need to learn and how it will be done effectively during class. Before I plan my lesson, I first identify the learning objectives for the class meeting. This way, I can design appropriate learning activities and develop strategies to obtain feedback on student learning. I aim to make my lessons so easy that my students enjoy learning English without any difficulty. In addition, I want them to specialize in four skills of English: reading, listening, writing, and speaking.

For this, I prepare them with practical command over words and phrases, which they will then use to tell a story or describe an incident. Then they must write a letter, an invitation, and a leave application with reasonable speed and zero grammatical errors. For different classes, I use different lesson plans. For example, in seventh grade, I teach them the use of a dictionary along with reading skills. In class eight, I developed their taste in reading stories and books and writing composition. Finally, I give group tasks in ninth and tenth grades to work on all four basic skills.

Methodology : In class, I adopt the Student-Centered Approach to Learning, where the students and I play an equally active role in the learning process. My primary function is to coach and facilitate student learning and comprehension of the material. I follow up with formal and informal assessment forms, including group projects, student portfolios, and class participation. Next, I start my class by asking students questions about the last lesson to link the lesson with a new one. Then I follow through by reading the passages slowly with correct pronunciation and intonation and translating every word for them.

Afterwards, I ask three to four students to read the passage one by one and ask the whole class to read after the students loudly. I correct their mistakes if they read wrong. I tell them the meanings of difficult words and give them new words to increase their vocabulary. In the grammar class, I teach tenses, Parts of speech, articles, types of sentences, narrations, and active and passive voice. I have made it mandatory for students to get their exams signed by their parents so that the parents are aware of their child’s progress. Finally, I assess my students by asking questions on the subject matter taught in the classroom.

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How to write a great personal statement for a teaching job.

Vinny Potter

7 Feb 2024, 16:23

Discover our top tips on what to include in your personal statement for a teaching job and how to present your skills, knowledge, experience and attributes.

Supported by:

Academies Enterprise Trust

Your personal statement is the heart of your application for work as an early career teacher and should be tailored for each role. For teaching applications this is sometimes also called a letter of application, but it is essentially the same thing. This is your opportunity to provide evidence of how you match the needs of the specific teaching job you are applying for, and earn yourself an invitation to the next stage, which is likely to be a selection day held at the school.

Writing tips for personal statements

See our example personal statement for primary school teaching, below. Imagine it was written in response to the following job advert:

We are advertising for a Year 3 Classroom Teacher. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Committed to our school and our values
• Experience across a range of age groups
• Committed to reflection and improving practice
• Knowledge of the National Curriculum
• Excellent lesson planning
• Knowledge of assessment
• Good knowledge of SEND and positive interventions
• Positive approach to provide challenge and support student success
• Excellent behaviour management
• Good communication skills with parents
• Enthusiastic and creative approach to lessons
• Willing to contribute to the wider life of the school.

See our personal statement for secondary school teaching, below. Imagine it was written in response to the following job advert:

Country High School are advertising for an enthusiastic Secondary PE Teacher. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Ability to adapt and tailor your approach for the differing needs of pupils
• Knowledge of the National Curriculum for your subject
• Knowledge of a wide range of sports
• Willing to engage in extra curricular activities and the wider life of the school
• Experience of supporting high ability students, as well as those who may be less able or motivated
• Ability to use data effectively
• Teach across all ability levels including SEND
• Ability to use Technology to enhance learning.

When completing a personal statement for a teaching job, you should typically observe the following guidelines:

• Do not write a generic statement. Instead use the person specification and job advert for the vacancy as a structure for your statement or consider using the government's Teachers' Standards if no person specification is provided.
• Do not exceed two sides of A4, unless otherwise instructed.
• Tailor your statement for each new application according to the nature of the school or LA and the advertised role.
• Always read any guidance provided – many schools and LAs will tell you how they want this section set out.
• Emphasise your individual strengths in relation to the role.
• For a pool application, make sure you give a good overview of your skills and experience.
• It is essential that you give specific examples of what you have done to back up your claims.

Primary school personal statement

Examples of a personal statements for a primary school teaching job.

Primary school personal statement example

Secondary school personal statement

See our example of a personal statement for a secondary school teaching job.

Secondary school personal statement example

What you should cover in your personal statement

When schools advertise graduate teaching jobs , they write a job description which states the essential attributes they are looking for. This is their marking criteria for the job. When they read your statement, they will usually score this based on their essential and desirable criteria. Therefore, you need to read their documents carefully to find the criteria and provide an example or evidence of each point. If the job advert does not include any documents which include their criteria, then you can use the following structure for your statement and use the Teachers’ Standards as a guide for the criteria they may be looking for.

Why you are applying for the role:

• Refer to any knowledge you have of the LA or the school, including any visits to the school and what you learned from them.
• Show you would be a good fit for the school. The best way to do this is to look at the school’s values and give an example of how you match these.
• Mention any special circumstances (for example, your religious faith) which you think are relevant.

Details about your course:

• Give an overview of your training course - including the age range and subjects covered - and any special features.
• If you are a PGCE student, mention your first degree, your dissertation (if appropriate), any classroom-based research projects and relevant modules studied. Also mention if you have studied any masters modules.

Your teaching experience:

• What year groups you have taught.
• What subjects you have covered.
• Your use and understanding of formative and summative assessment practices.

Your classroom management strategies:

• Give examples of how you planned and delivered lessons and evaluated learning outcomes, including differentiation, scaffolding etc.
• Explain how you have managed classrooms and behaviour.
• Detail your experience of working with assistants or parents in your class.

Your visions and beliefs about primary/secondary education:

• What are your beliefs about learning and your visions for the future? You could touch on areas such as learning and teaching styles and strategies.
• Reflect on key policies relevant to the age range you want to teach.

Other related experience:

• This can include information about any previous work experience.
• Include training activities you have carried out and ways in which your subject knowledge has been developed.

Other related skills and interests:

• Give details of any particular competencies, experiences or leisure interests. This will help the school to know more about you as a person and could ‘add value’ in a school environment.
• Any involvement in working with children (running clubs, youth work and summer camps) is particularly useful to include.

Aim to end on a positive note. A conclusion which displays your enthusiasm in relation to the specific application and teaching in general will enhance your application - but avoid general statements and clichés.

Written by Vinny Potter, St Marys University, Twickenham, July 2023

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How to write a teacher personal statement

What experience do you have, are you engaged in teaching theory and research, are you up to date on safeguarding statutory guidance, what are your skills and qualities, how can you contribute to wider school life, search for roles.

Your personal statement is your first opportunity to show the school you’re a great fit for the job, and gets you closer to being shortlisted for an interview. The more you show how your skills and interests match the school’s ethos and values, the better. We’ve spoken to a range of teachers to get their top tips for success.

Schools want to hear about your trainee experience with different subjects, key stages, types of school, and working with a range of pupils.

Think about your approach to teaching, how you keep pupils engaged, and how you communicate with different kinds of people (children, staff, parents and carers). Ensure you provide evidence for how you have improved student engagement and built positive relationships with pupils.

Schools will be interested in your approach to behaviour management, so think about your go-to strategies.

Think about any research that has affected your teaching practice. Explain what has worked well and if it didn’t, what you learnt.

You need to demonstrate your awareness of the importance of safeguarding and the requirements of Keeping Children Safe in Education . Include any examples of how you worked with a Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Are you a well-organised, confident, and motivated teacher? Say it, and provide examples! Schools are looking for great communicators, team players and relationship builders. Make sure you say how you create a positive learning environment, and consider skills like time management, organisation, and flexibility. Schools will also want to know how you overcome challenges.

Set yourself apart by showing how your hobbies and achievements could contribute to the wider school community. Could you run an after school club or organise school trips?

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How to write your teaching personal statement

Home » How to write your teaching personal statement

Teaching Personal Statements

What is a teaching personal statement?

UCAS Teaching Personal Statement

Your statement is the biggest part of the UCAS application process for becoming a teacher, and is the part you should spend the most time on. Try to make sure that you aren’t repeating things that have gone elsewhere in your application. All statements are different and don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through, but the main themes you want to include are:

• Why you want to be a teacher 
• What you understand the role of a teacher to be
• What your teaching experience or your relevant experience with young people has taught you
• Proof that you have the skills needed for the classroom
• That you understand the Scottish education system
• That you understand the Curriculum for Excellence

"I’m originally from Dublin, but moved to Scotland to work in a primary school four years ago. At St David’s I work in a promoted post as a Development Officer. I’m a member of the management team and I’m also developing play-based learning. I would encourage anyone to teach here – there’s so many great opportunities." Aoife Lambert – Primary Teacher at St David's RC Primary School

How to write your personal statement

Your personal statement can be up to 4,000 characters long, around 1,000 words. It might sound a lot, but it may be less than you think, so it is important to be concise and not use convoluted language. But it is also vital that you give yourself plenty of time to write it, and try to write multiple drafts to give yourself every chance of getting it right.

You need to outline why your skills are relevant to a classroom environment. Talk about any classroom experience you have. Talk about lessons you’ve observed and what it taught you about your own teaching practice. Talk about other relevant experiences you have with young people. Discuss the transferable skills you have from previous roles/education and how they relate to teaching.

Write it in Microsoft Word first and make sure you thoroughly proof-read it as the grammar and spelling need to be impeccable. If possible, get someone else to read it over for you. Don’t use different formatting such as bold or italic text, and ensure it is 100% your own work.

"I wanted to be a teacher from a young age. I knew I could help young people to better themselves and felt my work would have purpose. As a Business and ICT teacher, I cover a variety of subjects including Business Management, Administration, IT and Tourism. I teach pupils to be enterprising and develop practical skills for creating and running businesses while acquiring ICT skills." Mary Osei-Oppong – Business Education and ICT Teacher at Brannock High School

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Teacher interview questions answered: Why do you want to be a teacher?

Each of us has some values, ambitions, fears and worries . These things determine to a huge extend our career choice , though we should realize that the ambitions and fears are also determined by something–our upbringing, role models, things we experienced in our childhood. You can talk about all these things when the hiring committee inquires why you want to become a teacher , or when they ask you a similar question, for example “ What attracts you to teaching? “, or “ Why did you choose teaching as a profession? ” But what do they really want to hear from you?

First and foremost, they want to hear some enthusiasm in your voice . They want to feel that, regardless of the reasons why you opted for a teaching career, you are enthusiastic about your future, your teaching mission at their school. And they also want to hear a strong enough reason, something profound , since the strong motivation will help you get over difficult days in the classroom. And such days will undoubtedly come…

Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to the question. The list contains some standard choices, but also a couple of strange and unconventional answers . Try to pick one that resonates with your values, and clearly explain the reasons why you want to be a teacher, and teach for many years to come.

7 sample answers to “Why do you want to be a teacher?” interview question

• I chose teaching as a professions because I love the impact one can have on individual children , especially here at elementary level. Of course it’s a great responsibility , but at the same time I cannot imagine devoting my life to something else, especially since I love being around children –which is likely the second reason why I want to be a teacher. In my view, teaching is more a mission than a job really, especially in the uncertain times we live nowadays. I cannot wait to start working as a teacher.
• I want to become a teacher because I believe to have the right skills, abilities, and attitude to become a good teacher. And I enjoy teaching, talking to children, listening to them , trying to understand their emotional world, and be a good role model for them. At the end of the day, we should do a job in which we see some meaningful purpose . I know that I could earn twice as much working in some big corporation analyzing some data or sitting at a computer programming another mobile application, the billionth on the app store…. But I just don’t see a point in such type of work. Teaching is a completely different story.
• I just want to share my vast knowledge of history and geography with the students. I’ve been doing research in these field for years, publishing papers, going to conferences. At this stage of my professional career, however, I feel that I should hand the ball to the younger generation . It is time to share my knowledge with them, and perhaps have them better understand certain phenomenons of the modern day . History is the best teacher in this case, if you can look at it without prejudice. The proposition of helping them to see these things is highly motivating to me.
• To be honest with you, my ultimate goal is to become a school principal , or even to establish a small private elementary school. But I am still young and inexperienced , and need to learn a lot from seasoned professionals. And I cannot see a better place than your school, which has an excellent reputation and renowned leadership. That’s why I want to work as a teacher here.
• My goal to pay back a big favor attracts me to teaching as a profession . When I was young I struggled to find my place in life. I was a sort of an outsider, always attracted to strange ways, spending times with other outcasts. Had my episode with drugs, skipping school, and everything. But one teacher saved me from a path that would eventually lead me to a lie on the street. They showed huge confidence in my abilities , and they treated me as an equal. Certain things they said to me, and their trust, motivated me to change my ways completely. I became an excellent student, managed to quit drugs and  lousy lifestyle, and eventually graduated from the university. Nothing of it would have happened, however, had I not met that one teacher… Now it is my time to help other struggling youngsters find their way. Or at least try my best to do so.
• To be honest, I am very concerned about the situation in the world. The inequality of people, the widening gap between the rich and poor, the conflicts we have all around. And I do not believe that some Messiah from heaven will come and save us . We people are responsible, and education is the most powerful weapon we have in our hands–if used correctly. I want to help educate children, especially in rural areas. Help them develop the right values, the sense of self-worth, and of course an ability to think critically and question the religious and political leaders . In this way I can play my small role in helping to make the world a better place. Maybe it is just a drop in the ocean. But even the biggest ocean consists of nothing but water drops…
• Teaching is a calling I’ve been following from a young age . I am not sure if I can explain it clearly, why teaching, why not social work, or healthcare. But sometimes you just hear this voice in your head, this calling in your soul, and you know that something is the right thing to do , or the right goal to follow. That’s how I have always felt about teaching, that’s the reason why I chose my school, and ultimately the reason why I sit in this interview with you right now.

Conclusion, other tough questions for your teaching job interview

Teaching is a mission, a calling. Sometimes a pleasure, and sometimes a cross you carry on your shoulders . As long as you know why you do it, however, why you are a teacher and not a manager, engineer, or doctor, you will always get over the difficult period, or over some bad words you may hear in the classroom, or even from fellow staff members.

Ensure the hiring committee that you have your reasons, that they are deeply rooted in your heart, and you won’t quit the profession after first few months. And remember that stories are the best interview answers . Narrating a story of a teacher helping you in your young age, doing something that eventually changed the course of your life, is a great idea. If you have such story, share it with your interviewers.

And if you want to simplify your interview preparation , check out my new eBook the Teacher Interview Guide , for brilliant answers to all 40 teacher interview questions (+ more). Thank you!

Other interview questions that may interest you :

• What are your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher?
• Teacher interview – Tell me about yourself .
• Where do you see yourself in five years as a teacher?
• Teacher interview – Tell us more about your teaching experience.
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• Interview Questions

Why do you want to be a Teacher? 13 Example Answers

• Posted by by Emily Adders
• February 4, 2023

Why do you want to be a teacher? This is one of the most commonly asked teacher interview questions out there, and it’s one of the trickiest ones to answer as well.

In theory, any aspiring teacher should be able to answer this question with relative ease, but from my experience, this isn’t always the case.

If you find it difficult to explain why you want to be a teacher , here are some key points you should emphasize in your interview:

• Your desire to help students succeed.
• Your enthusiasm and dedication to teaching.
• Your love of working with children.
• Your ability to inspire students.
• Your willingness to go the extra mile for your students.
• Your commitment to helping bridge the gap between classroom instruction and real-world experience.
• Your aspiration to become a role model for students.

Here are 13 example answers you can use as a basis to answer “why do you want to be a teacher?”. As always, try to add your own unique touch to whichever answer you like.

1. “I believe teaching is more than just imparting knowledge; it’s also about instilling values and inspiring enthusiasm for learning. I am devoted to the idea that all students should have access to quality education and I’m determined to help them reach their full potential. ”

2. “I want to be a teacher because I believe in the importance of education for creating a better society. Teaching provides me with an opportunity to shape young minds and inspire the next generation to become productive, successful citizens.”

3. “I’m a teacher because I love working with children and watching them grow. I find it incredibly rewarding to see a student’s face light up when they finally understand a concept or have success in an area where they were struggling.”

4. “I want to be a teacher because I believe that every child deserves to have access to quality education, regardless of their background or economic situation. Teaching provides me with an opportunity to make sure that all students are given the right tools and knowledge to achieve success in life.”

5. “I’ve always had a passion for teaching and I want to share my knowledge with others in order to help them reach their goals. I believe that education is the key to a successful future and I want to do my part in making sure every student has access to quality education.”

Related: 11 qualities of a good teacher.

6. “I am passionate about helping students learn and grow, both academically and personally. As a teacher, I have an opportunity to make an impact on young people during a critical time in their lives by teaching them important life skills and providing guidance that will help shape their future.”

7. “I love being around children and inspiring them to reach for the stars! I believe that a good teacher has the ability to motivate students, bring out new talents, and instil a lifelong passion for learning. This is what motivates me to pursue a career in teaching.”

8. “I believe that education is a right, not a privilege, and I want to do my part in creating equal access to quality education for all students. Being a teacher allows me to become an advocate for those who are underserved and underrepresented in our educational system.”

9. “I have always been interested in working with children and teaching felt like the perfect match for my skills and interests. I am excited by the prospect of helping children reach their full potential and guiding them in their pursuit of a successful future.”

10. “I believe that teachers play an important role in creating a better future through education, and I want to be part of that process. As a teacher, I have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of my students and help ensure that they have access to quality education.”

11. “I am motivated by the idea that teaching provides me with an opportunity to mould young minds and shape our society for the better. Teaching is about more than just imparting knowledge; it’s also about inspiring enthusiasm for learning and instilling values that can last a lifetime. ”

12. “I want to be a teacher because I believe in the power of education to make our world a better place. I am passionate about helping students learn and discover their potential, while also providing them with the encouragement they need to strive for success.”

13. “I have always been passionate about learning, and teaching helps me share this passion with others. I find great joy in being able to help my students understand difficult concepts and grow academically. Working as a teacher is an incredible privilege, and I am excited to work with students of all ages.”

Related: Why should we hire you as a teacher?

Wrapping up

Whether you are passionate about teaching, have always dreamed of being a teacher, or simply believe that it’s the best way for you to make a difference in the world, it’s important to express your motivations clearly and honestly.

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Why I Want to Be a Teacher Essay: Writing Guide [2024]

Some people know which profession to choose from childhood, while others decide much later in life. However, and whenever you come to it, you may have to elaborate on it in your personal statement or cover letter. This is widely known as “Why I Want to Be a Teacher” essay.

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The primary reasons to pursue this career are:

• Raising new generations and changing the world for the better are your goals.
• You have all the qualities and skills to become a teacher.
• Duties, responsibilities, and creativity that the profession involves fascinate you.
• Growing up, you had a fantastic teacher who became your role model.

If you’re having trouble coming up with arguments, you have come to the right place! Here, at Custom-Writing , we gathered all the essential tips to use in a “being a teacher” essays.

🎓 7 Reasons to Become a Teacher

🛑 7 reasons not to become a teacher.

• 📜 Paper Types

✍️ “Why I Want to Be a Teacher” Essay

📑 “why i want to be a teacher” personal statement, 🖨️ 50 teacher essay topics, 🤔 why i want to be a teacher faq, 🔗 references.

Why do you want to be a teacher? Being one seems manageable if it’s your dream job. At the same time, it’s the hardest profession that wouldn’t fit everyone. Check the following reasons to become a teacher that you can use in your paper.

Also, the following points are entirely appropriate for children. If they have a task like a “When I grow up, I want to become a teacher because…” essay, they will find this section useful.

🌱 Raising New Generations

Do you think that future generations require different teaching? Do you have an idea of a new proper approach? Whatever you believe, make sure to write about it:

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

• Elaborate on the problem:

Would you like to see a more environmentally-conscious generation? Or do you find that kids lack concentration and the will to succeed? Explain why you consider children and teens need guidance.

To support your argument, give statistics and real-life examples of the problems modern children and teens have. Provide the leading causes and solutions for this issue in your “Why I Want to Be a Teacher” essay.

• Talk about your reasoning:

How did you understand that the problem above exists? You have to write why you thought about it in the first place.

For example, siblings. Do you have a younger sibling? Or a nephew who often asks you to play with him or her? Then, in your “Why I Want to Be a Teacher” essay, you might mention that this child helped you choose a future career.

• Explain why you:

What makes you think you might be a good teacher? Does the child enjoy spending time with you? Did you manage to teach the child something useful? Make sure to discuss this in your essay.

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So, are you ready to write about raising new generations? Check this essay sample below to ensure your success:

🎨 Creativity in Teaching

In this kind of essay, you would shift the focus from yourself to the teacher’s profession in general. You’ll elaborate on why you find this profession a great creative outlet.

Talk about creativity that you’ll bring to the classroom. Use this reasoning to explain why this profession is one of a kind and appropriate for you in particular. Do you think that you might use your creative abilities to become an excellent teacher?

To underline your points:

Share several ideas on how to educate children using innovative approaches. Kids are naturally compelling storytellers because of their sincerity and imagination. Maybe, you’ll find a way to use it.

Get an originally-written paper according to your instructions!

🔍 Qualities of a Good Teacher

All the educator’s responsibilities require communication and writing skills. They have to acquire accountability, patience, creativity, etc.

You may be wondering: how can this topic help me explain why I want to become a teacher? The essay should compare the qualities of a good teacher with your own. Thus, you’ll show how good you are for the position.

• Do you believe that a good teacher should be kind? If positive, mention some example that proves your desire to help. For example, you might have volunteered at an animal shelter.
• Do you argue that a good teacher should be knowledgeable? Tell your readers about your good grades in college.

Still, wondering about how to write a good paper on an educator’s qualities? Check the useful teacher essay sample, written by a student:

🏫 Duties and Responsibilities

While this topic may sound similar to the previous ones, it’s all about how you present your arguments and structure your narrative. This topic offers you an opportunity to examine the day-to-day lives of teachers.

First of all , you can describe the duties and responsibilities of a teacher. Explore it, be it grading assignments, cooperating and communicating with parents, or continuously learning.

Secondly , you can focus on the aspects of teaching that you find rewarding. You can add in your essay writing the sadness that a teacher feels when his or her students graduate. Or talk about the joy they experience when they see students learning and improving their grades.

Whichever approach you choose, make sure it’s beneficial for you and reveals your strong sides.

👩‍🏫 My Best Teacher

This type of essay is similar to the previous ones. Here, you also describe the characteristics of an excellent teacher. There is, however, one key difference:

Rather than describing some abstract figures, you would describe a real-life teacher. Talk about the person who served as a role model and inspired you to pursue this career.

The premise of this essay is excellent:

First , you show an understanding of what the job of a teacher encompasses. Second , you also demonstrate your appreciation for someone who made a difference in your life.

“My best teacher” topic is an excellent opportunity to pay tribute to your teacher or a trainer who has significantly influenced your life.

🦉 Changing the World

How many times have you heard that teachers change the world? It might sound quite trivial, but they do. Educators have a significant impact on the new generation’s development and their effect on society. Their influence expands to every sphere of our life, from business to community, from ecology to economics.

Here are the four secrets of how teachers change the world:

• Sharing. A good educator shares their knowledge with others: students and colleagues. They bring their ideas and concepts to conferences, write blogs, and hold school meetings. Everyone benefits from this sharing. An educator gets feedback while their audience learns something new and motivating. Yes, it takes a lot of effort to set aside time for this, especially when you have a tight schedule. But it’s worth it. Think, would learning theories have ever existed if teachers didn’t share them?
• Caring. Educators not only care for their students, but in most cases, they actively participate in charity. Think about what impact it can have when students, parents, and teachers work together for something significant. It can be anything: from planting trees to fundraising for cancer. Such activities help students to gain valuable experience in helping others and saving our planet. In most cases, they will continue doing so even after graduation.
• Networking. In daily lives, teachers overcome various challenges. The networking and learning from other’s experiences allow the educator to see alternative points of view, motivate others, and find out new approaches to teaching.
• Reflection. Educators regularly analyze what works and what not at their lessons. Regular observations help them adjust the curriculum or change teaching methods. A critical approach to their work allows the educator to optimize and make their job more impactful.

Now you have all the arguments to consider in your essay about the teacher’s profession.

Teaching is not easy and not a profession you should choose unless ready to face all its challenges. And here’s the “shortlist” of them:

• Low salary. Yes. Educators from all over the world don’t get paid enough. On average, teachers’ weekly wages are 19.6% lower than those of other professions. So if you are not ready to live, hardly able to make ends meet, being a school educator is not your number one career choice.
• Teachers spend their salaries on students and school staff. Most teachers spend a part of their earnings on purchasing school tools and gear. In 2012-2013, K-12 educators spent 1.6 billion dollars on classroom supplies. That’s not fair. Are you ready to waste your hard-earned money this way? Moreover, you will have to transport all this stuff to class on your own.
• Teachers have to deal with all disturbing trends. Des-pa-si-to. Does this song make you roll up your eyes? And what about the whole class with fidget spinners? How about that these things repeat day by day for a couple of months? Think if you can deal with your irritation and anger. If negative, consider another profession.
• Teachers don’t have weekends and vacations. You may be wondering why. And here’s the answer: they write lesson plans, check countless essays and projects, etc. Yes, in most cases, you won’t have time for yourself and your hobby. And… even for your family.
• Educators are at high risk of public embarrassment. This means you will have to control everything you post on social media, your behavior, and every word you say to anyone. It’s like living under the microscope. And it’s exhausting.
• Students always try to escape studying, and some parents blame teachers for that. Have you ever missed an essay submission deadline because of procrastination? Even if the answer is “No,” your students will. And some of their parents will blame you. They can say that you did not adequately explain the lesson material, or you’re too prejudiced to their kids, or… whatever it would be, you’ll be wrong.
• Students can be abusive. Even the best teacher faced abuse and bullying in class. Think, will you be able to deal with troubled youth and bad behavior day by day?

As you can see, teaching is a stressful, low-paying, and thankless job. There are many reasons not to become a teacher you can use in your paper and to think about when choosing a career. However, many people still decide to be teachers because it is much more than just a profession. They want this career path as the passion of their lives.

📜 Teacher Topic: Paper Types

You may say that it’s just a teacher topic essay, what are we talking about? There are plenty of other types of essays on teaching that your professor may also ask to write. Check our blog to learn more about their specifics.

Below, we will give you all the essentials on being a teacher paper:

🗺️ Application Essay

You will have to write this type of essay when applying for a job. This paper is a crucial part of your application. You have to prove to your future employer that you meet all the requirements of your future career.

At first sight, it’s similar to a CV or a cover letter. But the job application essay is an entirely different paper. And here are some of the features of these papers:

• Life experience and hobbies. In your CV or resume, you state your hobbies, interests, and even the places you have visited. However, in the teacher application, you provide only relevant information about yourself that clearly shows that your experience makes you the best candidate for this position.
• Personalization. You may not change your CV when applying to various companies (unless you want to tailor it to a particular employer and position). But your teacher application essay must be customized. Some employers will ask you to tell more about yourself while others require you to solve a specific issue in the application.
• Your ambitions and enthusiasm. The CV doesn’t show your objectives or attitude to various teaching theories. Otherwise, your employer can ask you to write an essay that represents your professional goals.

🔔 Personal Statement

The personal statement is quite similar to the job application letter. You will write it when applying to a college, university, or for a job. The difference between personal statement and a job application essay is that the first one leaves more space for your creativity.

As in the teacher application essay, you will have to customize it according to the job requirements and express both your ambitions and personal features.

Some employers require you to submit a personal statement along with the CV and cover letter.

💭 Autobiography

You may be wondering why you may need to write an autobiography of a teacher. This essay will be useful for your future portfolio. For example, you can add it to a job search portfolio or “about me” section on social media.

Needless to say that social networking nowadays is an essential part of a job search or career change. So, make sure that your autobiography of becoming a teacher contains only positive details.

However, you have to remember that an autobiography on Facebook or LinkedIn (or wherever you decide to place it) should make your profile searchable .

Above, we’ve provided the pros and cons of being a teacher. We hope, by now, you have the answer to the “why I want to be a teacher” question.

So, another issue arises: how to write an essay? Below we will show you all the essentials on writing teacher topic essays with examples.

1. ✔️ Preparation

Proper preparation is key to an A+ paper. First, you should determine the topic and arguments you will use in your essay on teacher jobs.

The arguments depend on the paper type you have to write. For example, you should prepare merits and demerits, or choose points to use in the argumentative essay. Maybe, you should research for a literature review. Whatever it takes, don’t skip this stage!

2. ✔️ Outline

The next step is to outline your future paper. An outline is a mandatory part of any essay writing. It’s a plan that will let you structure your ideas and stick to the required word count.

Here’s an example of “Why I Want to Be a Teacher” college essay outline:

In this 300-word “Why I Would Like to Be a Teacher of Political Science” essay, our experts organized the paper structure and put key ideas to explore in the paper. As you can see, after the introduction, they put the topic aspects to cover and left a part for sources analysis.

Make a list of your arguments and ensure that they are logically connected. Your professor can require you to write an outline with headings and subheadings as complete sentences or a series of words (phrases). So make sure you’ve carefully read the paper guidelines and understood them.

3. ✔️ Thesis Statement

After you’ve finished your outline, you can start essay writing. At this stage, you need to develop a good thesis statement.

The purpose of your thesis is to explain your position—the central idea of the essay. Tell your reader what you will write in the paper and explain the significance of the subject.

The thesis statement is usually 1-2 sentences long and concludes the introduction paragraph. You can sketch out your thesis and add some touches after the paper is completed to make sure it meets the essay content.

4. ✔️ Introduction

Next, start with an introduction. Here you will have to briefly show the understanding of the teaching profession and its peculiarities:

• A teacher essay introduction opens your paper with a hook. This first sentence aims to grab your reader’s attention. You can start it with a quote or an interesting fact.
• Then provide the context necessary for understanding the issue.
• End with the thesis statement. Make it as clear and precise as possible.
• If you have time and space, outline the evidence that you’ll use in the body paragraphs.
• Try to avoid phrases like “In this essay, I…” or “In my essay, I’m going…”

Here’s how your introduction can look like:

5. ✔️ Body Paragraphs

Now, it’s time to recall all the arguments and evidence you put in your outline. You will write them in your essay body paragraphs. Depending on the required word count and the number of evidence, the paper body typically contains at least three body paragraphs.

However, some papers can have two body paragraphs. You should know that each idea and point of view must be stated in a separate part. If you have three or five arguments, you have to write three or five paragraphs in your essay, respectively.

Here’s our sample:

6. ✔️ Conclusion

And the last but not the least part of your essay is the conclusion. Here you have to summarize all the ideas presented in the body section and explain how they meet your thesis statement.

Don’t try to repeat the thesis word by word or provide any new ideas. Here’s an example of a conclusion for an “I Want to Become a Teacher” essay:

If you used any sources, don’t forget to include the reference list in your paper according to the required citation style .

The purpose of the personal statement is to tell the admissions officer or recruiter why you decided to become a teacher. You can be required to submit one along with your college, university, scholarship, or job application.

A teacher’s personal statement is a document where you can express your personality. Want to learn all the dos and don’ts of its writing?

Just keep reading!

📝 Personal Statement: Tips

A typical personal statement is up to 700 words or 4,000 characters long, including intro, body, and conclusion. To keep word count tracking, you can type it in Word or Google Documents. Now, let’s consider critical points of personal statement writing that you can use for college/uni and job application:

• Intro. Your introductory paragraph is an excellent opportunity to open the statement with memorable sentences about why you chose to become a teacher. Make it bright and clear.
• Structure. As we mentioned above, each of your points should have supporting evidence. For example, if you’re writing about your experience, explain what you have learned and how this will help you in your future career.
• Conclusion. The secret of good personal statement endings is to keep it simple and clear. Explain why you would be a perfect asset to this company or college and make a statement on why they would be lucky to have you as an employee or a student.
• Personal statement for primary teaching. In case you’re going to apply for a teaching role or major, you should mention skills that will be useful for extracurricular school activities. You need to prove that you will be able to help with school plays or organize various off-class events.
• Postgraduate personal statement. Here, you have to show your abilities and academic interests. Persuade the admission officers how you will benefit from studying the program and your impact on science.

The next point to consider is what to write in the body section of your “Why Do You Want to Be a Teacher” personal statement. Here are some questions to answer in your paper:

• Why do you want to become a teacher?
• Why did you decide to teach at this level?
• What are your strengths?
• Do you have teaching experience?
• What personal skills do you have?
• Why do you think you deserve a place in this company/university above others?
• What is your background?
• What are your career goals?

🙅‍♀️ Personal Statement: Common mistakes

A personal statement may be the only way to make a first impression on your recruiter or admissions officer. There might be no other opportunity. That’s why you must know the most common mistakes to avoid:

• Negative tone. Believe us: no one wants to read the pessimistic, weak, or adverse essay. Even if you have to describe an uncomfortable fact, try to make it positive.
• Using online templates. If you found a great personal statement template that you think will perfectly fit your paper, stop! Recruiters and college admissions have seen dozens and dozens of them, so there are high chances that your application will be declined. Spend a little more time and write a statement yourself.
• Including irrelevant facts or lies. Recruiters spend, on average, six seconds on reading the CV and a personal statement. That’s why you should neither tell a cool story about your grandmother’s birthday nor tell lies. In the first case, it’s annoying. Moreover, it may lead to firing or dismissal from the college.
• Using clichés, jargon, overused words, etc. A personal statement requires a formal tone, so conversational tone is merely unacceptable.
• Using the same personal statement for different applications. Even if you send your application to ten different companies or colleges, personalize it! Include some facts from the firm’s or university’s history, mission, or vision, and explain how your skills meet them.
• Leaving writing the statement to the last minute. It takes some time to prepare, draft, and polish your paper to make it stand out from other applications.

If you still need a “Why Do You Want to Be a Teacher?” personal statement example, check the sample below:

In case you want something more than “why did you decide to become a teacher,” check the topics below. We believe that your teacher will appreciate reading your paper.

• A recess for primary school students. Imagine if you were a school principal. Would you sacrifice breaks in favor of additional study time? Explain your point of view.
• Homework : yay or nay? Think about how much time students should spend on their homework in elementary school. Should there be any homework at all? Provide your points and evidence and show how they are connected to your teaching philosophy.
• Technologies in education : pros and cons. Examine the advantages and disadvantages of using desktops and tablets at school and for homework.
• Handwriting in elementary school . Some schools stopped teaching students cursive handwriting. Provide your point of view on whether handwriting is a lost art or an unnecessary relic.
• School uniform and dress code. Should students wear a uniform? And what about the teachers?
• Standardized tests in school. Are these tests discriminatory? Should they be tied to funding? Elaborate on whether they cause too much anxiety for students. 
• Second language learning : advantages and disadvantages. How many languages should an average school graduate know? Do pupils need to learn any second language at school?
• Armed security in educational institutions. More and more school mass shootings are reported every year. Can armed guards protect students? Do your research on gun control and demonstrate your opinion.
• Early start times at school . Explore how such start times impact on students’ perception of the lesson material.
• Inclusive education for children with disabilities . Research the techniques that will fit your students with special needs. Show the connection between them and your teaching approach.
• Personal philosophy of education and views on teacher’s career. 
• Discuss how teachers can influence students’ personal life .
• Analyze the social and emotional competencies teachers should possess.  
• Describe the difficulties a teacher may face when working with children.
• Personal development plan of a teacher .
• Who is responsible for children’s low academic achievement.
• Explain why you want to be physical education teacher .
• Discuss pros and cons of distance education and traditional degree .
• Describe an ideal public school .
• Remembering who you were: my teacher .
• What educational system would you prefer if you were a teacher?
• Analyze the difficulties a teacher may face trying to implement multicultural educational practices .
• Compare the efficiency of private and public schools .
• Road to becoming a good teacher .
• Why constant professional development is crucial for teachers.
• Describe an educational style a teacher can use when teaching English as a second language .
• Is music useful or harmful for student academic performance?
• Methods teachers can use to improve the school for young learners.
• Examine the effect a teacher has on student’s personality .
• Discuss the specifics of teaching music in middle schools.  
• Analyze the crucial meaning of effective student-teacher interaction in inclusive education.
• Explain the teacher’s role in integration of children with special needs .
• Reading problems and ways of helping students with reading disabilities .
• Describe the strategies a teacher can use to improve student learning.  
• What can a teacher do to help students in developing social and emotional skills ?
• Examine the value of education in student life.  
• Why e-learning is an important part of contemporary education.
• Teacher’s influence on student’s career choice .
• Discuss the role teacher plays in students’ moral development .
• What can a teacher do to avoid workplace burnout .
• Compare and analyze the role of teachers and parents in students’ math performance .
• Career goal of a maths teacher.
• Should the government allow armed teachers on campus for students’ safety?  
• Examine the most important classroom management areas for a new teacher .
• Why are laptops and iPads so important for students?
• Analyze how book clubs for teachers can stimulate professional development.
• Is it right to expel bullies from school ?
• Motivation to choose a teacher’s profession .
• Explain why teachers’ attitude is important for educational system success.
• Why is low teacher retention a real problem and what can be done about that?  

Want more tips and advice on resume writing? Check this article on how to make a resume written by our experts!

Good luck with your essay about being a teacher! Share the article with those who may need it.

Learn more on this topic:

• Scholarship Essay Examples about Yourself
• How to Write a Scholarship Essay about Why You Deserve It
• Financial Assistance Essay: Useful Tips to Make It Rock
• How to Write an Essay Describing Your Financial Need
• Why i Want to be a Pharmacist Essay: Step-by-step Guide
• College Application Essay Writing Mistakes to Avoid
• How to Write a 250 Words College Personal Statement

Becoming a good professional has never been easy. Getting employed as a teacher is not the most difficult part of the process. Acquiring professionalism (e.g., building “soft skills,” psychological competence, broad knowledge base) takes more time and effort.

Formalities of the employment process might not coincide in Canada, US, UK, and any other location. The overall algorithm is as follows:

Choose an educational level and/or a subject to focus on. Study the requirements for the desired role and opportunities to meet them.

Start developing the competencies you are lacking.

Try to recollect how you first thought you would wanna become a teacher

Compose a list of the benefits of this rewarding occupation.

Organize the selected ideas to create a body of the essay. Write an appropriate introduction and conclusion.

Recollect what you dreamed about in your childhood.

Compare it with what you want to be in the future as of today.

Think about the reasons for your choice.

Present the comparison and why your choice looks like this in the essay body.

Write an appropriate introduction and conclusion.

• 10 Reasons Why I Want to Be a Teacher
• 19 Top Ideas for a “Why I want to be a Teacher” Essay
• Reasons for Becoming a Teacher
• My Dream to Be a Teacher | Essays
• Interview Answer: “Why Did You Decide to Become a Teacher?”
• Why Become a Teacher? Educators Share What They Love About Their Work
• Why I Want to Become a Teacher
• What Is an Autobiography?
• How to Write an Autobiography: 8 Steps for Writing Your Autobiography
• How to Write a Resume
• How to Write a Perfect Teaching Resume (Examples Included)
• Working Toward “Wow”: A Vision for a New Teaching Profession
• Being a Teacher Essay
• Essay on Teacher for Students and Children
• 5 Reasons to Love Teaching
• Why Do YOU Want to be a Teacher?
• Review Essay: Reflections on Scholarship and Teaching in the Humanities
• How To Write A Great Personal Statement For A Teaching Job
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Unfortunately, we don’t have more articles on teaching for the time being, but you can check the blog later in case we post something useful for you.

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Personal statement example primary education personal statement.

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Primary Education Personal Statement

“Let’s play teachers, I’ll be Miss Lily”: the words that led me to realise I wanted to be a primary school teacher . It was ‘Miss Lily’ as somehow Miss ‘surname’ seemed too formal as well as being a little too complicated for 4 year olds to call you on work experience. During this period, I worked with children from reception through to year 6 and met many different children. I mainly worked with children one on one, helping those who found the work more challenging as well as listening to KS1 children read, helping to prepare class materials and helping with sports day. Some children I worked with were very challenging and I was asked to take some them out of the class and work with them one on one in the library, I soon realised how difficult it must be for teacher’s to help children who are particularly struggling (or troublesome!) as well as teaching and supporting the whole class. I did find it challenging myself trying to get unwilling children to do their work but I loved the sense of achievement when I finally got through to them, helping them to learn and understand things and realised that perhaps I was in fact cut out to teach. On a separate occasion I also helped out at an after school photography club at a primary school, I loved how I could combine something I enjoyed doing whilst working in a school environment with the children.

As I have interest in a wide range of subject areas and activities such as religious studies, history and geography I believe this would benefit me, and the students, as I will be passionate and enthusiastic when I teach them. I believe I possess many of the skills required to be a good teacher, many that were developed further during my work experience; my organisation, patience and positive energy being just a few examples. I love the idea that I will somehow be able to shape the future of young children and play an important role in their development. I also understand just how challenging and demanding the role of a primary school teacher is but I think it is a very rewarding career that I would be very suited to.

I am a very caring person making me well-suited to working with children and I believe I have a positive personality and cheerful disposition that can engage children effectively as well as being able to maintain a good rapport with the students. At college I study classical civilisation, modern history and BTEC law. As well as this I decided to do an EPQ which further demonstrates my diligent attitude.

I am confident that all the transferable skills I have acquired during my EPQ such as time management and research skills will be incredibly beneficial to me and will prepare me for my time at university. I also work part-time at The Card Factory which has really developed my confidence in recent months.

My communication skills have also improved and I have gained a sense of responsibility I didn’t have before, knowing people rely on me and depend on my hard work and commitment to providing good customer service. I believe I am incredibly well suited to being a primary school teacher possessing many important qualities and I am sure that it will certainly prove to be a rewarding and fulfilling, albeit certainly challenging career.

I hope that studying primary education at university will equip me with the skills that will allow me to be a successful teacher and that my enthusiasm stands out allowing me to proceed on the pathway to becoming a qualified teacher.

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The 10 Most Important Qualities of a Good Teacher, According to Real Educators

This is what it takes to succeed in this challenging career.

It’s a standard teacher interview question : “What do you think is the most important quality of a good teacher?” While everyone has a different answer, there are some that come up more often than others. We asked a group of experienced educators and administrators to share their thoughts on the key qualities of a good teacher. Here’s what they had to say.

1. Patience

This was far and away the most commonly mentioned characteristic by educators in our survey. “Patience can be used in virtually every situation,” says high school ELA teacher Ann Cox. “If a teacher is able to remain calm, consider others’ point of view, and think through scenarios, they will be able to navigate just about anything that comes their way.”

She continues: “Patience helps teachers not to react in the moment when students are off task, disrespectful, etc. It’s also helpful when dealing with angry parents so you don’t say or do something you might regret later. And patience is definitely needed when sitting through meetings and professional development sessions!”

For ELA teacher Kenly CG, patience means “paying attention to each student’s needs and showing that you care about your students’ learning.” UK special school teacher Sarah Brown also advises “remaining calm, listening and observing students’ needs, repeating instructions, and modelling again when necessary.”

Learn more: 7 Ways To Cultivate Patience at Calm

2. Empathy and Compassion

These two traits were a close second behind patience when we asked about the qualities of a good teacher. “They have to know you care before they can learn from you,” explains middle school teacher Samantha Wheeler. As a special ed teacher from New York notes: “You have to teach the child before you can teach the curriculum.”

“Empathy is a constant exercise in stepping outside of yourself and your perspective to see the children you teach for who they are,” notes Indiana preschool teacher Maile C. Quinton. “Contact talks. Get down on the same level as a child, listen to what they say, and emphasize their shared feelings by validating them. Don’t try to silver lining everything—you can validate a situation, a moment, an emotion without condoning a behavior or a problem. Empathy isn’t sympathy.”

Learn more: Cultivating Empathy at American Psychological Association

3. Flexibility and Adaptability

Being open-minded to change is critical in this field. So many of the educators we surveyed agree with this North Carolina ESL teacher: “There is nothing constant in teaching. Good teachers have to be able to adapt to the changing needs of students, to new administrators, new curricula, new colleagues, and new technology.”

“With so many different needs from students and parents, teachers need to be flexible to accommodate and meet students where they are at,” says elementary school counselor Lisa K, while high school English teacher Nicole P. adds, “There are often times where you need to think on your feet, so being flexible is important to go with the flow in different situations.”

Elementary special ed teacher Brianna Vuori sums it up like this: “We can only begin to predict what the future will hold and with that what we need to prepare students for, so adaptability is critical to being able to survive and thrive in this ever-changing profession.”

Learn more: Teachers, To Succeed, It’s Important To Be Flexible at EdWeek

Teaching can be a tough gig, and you’ll need to be dedicated and passionate in order to thrive. “Passion is what drives us forward and what sees us through rough times,” emphasizes ELS department head Katerina T. “It is the driving force behind every lesson plan or decision we make and what lies at the foundation of life-changing relationships with our students.”

“Teachers that have passion will always find a way to meet the demands of the job,” says Florida teacher Jamie Cabaniss. “Teachers can lean on their passions when feeling frustrated and burnt out. Passions are what reignite us to get back in the classroom to teach our hearts out.”

Preschool teacher Christina H. couldn’t agree more. “You have to have a love and passion for what you are doing,” she declares. “Teaching isn’t just ‘teaching.’ It is also being a second mom (or dad), a counselor, a referee, a nurse, and so much more. To wear these many hats, you need to love what you are doing. You also need to love your students to help them succeed. Loving them on their best and worst days is what will make you successful.”

Learn more: 5 Ways Educators Can Grow and Sustain a Passion for Teaching at NSHSS

5. Kindness

Over and over again, educators emphasized kindness as one of the most important qualities of a good teacher. “We are in the business of teaching human beings. We must teach them to be good people,” stresses Adam Peterson, Illinois music teacher and tutor.

Tina Jones agrees: “Teachers need to be kind, caring, compassionate and understanding. In our world today, with kids getting so much information and misinformation via social media, children need examples of those qualities more than ever.”

Learn more: The Case for Professional Kindness in Teaching at Teacher magazine

6. Collaboration

“Good teachers need to be able to give ideas, ask for help, share, and communicate with coworkers and families,” advises one Washington second grade teacher. “Be able to take suggestions, offer help, and not take things personally.”

Teachers regularly have to work collaboratively, and not just with their fellow colleagues and administrators. Developing strong, collaborative relationships with parents and families is vital. To succeed in this field, you need to learn to work well as part of a team.

Learn more: The Importance of Teacher Collaboration at American University School of Education

7. Professionalism

It probably feels like professionalism should be a given in any job, but it’s one of the most important qualities of a good teacher because you need to gain and maintain the respect of students, families, and administration. “Some days are going to be frustrating, discouraging, and stressful,” warns an Ohio 7th grade science teacher, “but you need to remain professional by staying calm and encouraging and being a good mentor for your students.”

Learn more: The Five P’s of Professionalism in Teaching at Grand Canyon University

8. Sense of Humor

There’s no doubt about it, teachers do best when they have a sense of humor. “Laughing at yourself is a great relief, and laughing with children builds trust with them,” says Maile C. Quinton. Find ways to bring humor into your classroom, and you’ll find that students relax and learn a little more easily. (Plus, it’s much easier to deal with the small daily annoyances of teaching when you learn to laugh them off!)

Learn more: Engaging Students With Humor at Association for Psychological Science

9. Open-Mindedness

“Be open to learning from more (and even less) experienced teachers, and open to trying out new teaching and classroom management methods,” recommends middle school ELA teacher Abigail Perry.

“We are building relationships with a diverse student population,” notes Cheryl Rizzo, a middle school ELA teacher. “This can be a source of stress or create divide. However, with an open mind, it can create new opportunities or a chance to grow. Teachers are open-minded when they allow students to have a voice and take an active part in their education.”

Part of being open-minded means demonstrating a willingness to grow and a dedication to growth mindset. According to a literacy coach from North Carolina: “This job requires constant reflection, learning, and growth.”

Learn more: How To Be Open-Minded and Why It Matters at Very Well Mind

10. Resilience

Marilyn Weber, a retired principal from Massachusetts, names this as the quality she looked for in a good teacher. “In order to navigate the world of education with all its related constituencies and responsibilities, an educator needs to be knowledgeable, flexible, an impeccable communicator, and should be able to withstand all the highs and lows of what comes their way and needs to be accomplished,” she states. She added that educators must be able to “do so without allowing any of that to shake their confidence and resolve in order to do what’s best for their students.”

That’s a tall order! Fortunately, Andrea Perry, a certified coach for educator well-being, has some advice. “Develop emotional intelligence. It’s critical for keeping our calm and being proactive, not reactive. This supports the teacher not only in serving their students well but also helps them remain joyfully in the profession as well.”

Learn more: How To Be Resilient at Work at Positive Psychology

More Qualities of a Good Teacher To Consider

These qualities of a good teacher didn’t make the top 10, but they’re definitely worthwhile attributes for every educator to cultivate:

• Inclusive mindset: “There is such a huge stigma against disabilities and it is often hushed away, which creates shame. All children are general education first and receive special education services second. Build a classroom community with respect by explaining differences to students and celebrating everyone’s strengths. True inclusivity helps all students grow, not just the students in a special education classroom. True inclusivity should help you as a teacher grow.” —Katie M., Functional Life Skills Teacher
• Love for all children: “A good teacher must truly like kids, even the naughty ones. Too often teachers only seem to like the ‘good’ kids or the ones from ‘good’ families. They attribute the student’s behavior to something personal or bad about them. Instead, those are the kids in whom we need to diligently look for the good.” —Kathryn Roe, retired educator and administrator
• Love of learning
• Problem-solving skills
• Hopefulness
• Imagination
• Reliability
• Knowledge of content and pedagogy
• High expectations

What do you feel are the most important qualities of a good teacher? Come share your thoughts in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, the complete guide to becoming a teacher, from choosing a college to landing a job ., you might also like.

12 Ways to Thank Classroom Volunteers

Sweet ideas for the end of the year! Continue Reading

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PMQs latest: Sunak and Starmer face off for final time before pivotal elections - but you wouldn't have guessed it

Rishi Sunak faced Keir Starmer at the final PMQs before this week's pivotal local elections. It comes as a Tory mayor seeking re-election shuns the prime minister in his campaign literature - instead relying on the endorsement of Boris Johnson.

Wednesday 1 May 2024 13:50, UK

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• Starmer boasts at PMQs: Defection shows Sunak has 'utterly failed'
• PM refuses to rule out deploying UK forces to Middle East
• Sam Coates: I've got to apologise after today's PMQs
• Johnson tells voters to 'forget about the government'
• First illegal migrants bound for Rwanda detained
• Scottish government to face Holyrood vote of no confidence today
• Contest for new first minister explained | Why Yousaf resigned
• Local elections:  All you need to know about this week's votes
• Live reporting by Charlotte Chelsom-Pill

By Tim Baker , political reporter

Officers have raided the homes of the first people to be deported to Rwanda.

It comes following the recent passing of the Safety of Rwanda Act, which declared the central African nation safe following concerns raised by the Supreme Court last year.

A video released by the Home Office showed officers entering homes and bringing out people detained in handcuffs, before putting them in the back of secure vans.

According to the government, "operational teams within the Home Office have been working at pace to safely and swiftly detain individuals in scope for relocation to Rwanda, with more activity due to be carried out in the coming weeks".

It comes after a failed asylum seeker voluntarily chose to go to Kigali once their application to stay in the UK failed.

The Rwanda plan has been a major policy for the Conservative government since April 2022, but has faced repeated legal challenges.

The government has previously said it has 2,200 "detention spaces", alongside 200 new caseworkers and 500 "highly trained escorts" ready.

It added that planes have been booked, with flights set to take off in nine to 11 weeks' time.

Read more here:

Outgoing first minster Humza Yousaf has told Sky News the SNP and independence movement would be harmed by a leadership contest becoming toxic.

The departing leader said he has "reflected" on his role in last year’s bruising campaign and urged any future candidate to "talk up" the other rather than "talk down".

Mr Yousaf, who is refusing to get drawn into the future direction of the SNP, said any suggestions of him being forced out of office to make way for John Swinney were "complete and utter rubbish".

Speaking to Sky News, the outgoing leader refuted suggestions independence was further away than ever before but admitted the "road to independence is more challenging…there's no getting away from that".

Mr Yousaf said the party still had “around 70,000” members but admitted he hadn't checked the numbers in recent months.

The week has kicked off with a huge political story - the resignation of Humza Yousaf - and will end with another, as voters across England and Wales turn out for the local elections.

Sky's political reporter Alexandra Rogers   has looked ahead to a potentially defining night for Rishi Sunak's premiership, when hundreds of council seats, police and crime commissioner jobs, and mayoral posts will be up for grabs.

Read her full explainer below:

PMQs has come to a close - and even enthusiasts like our deputy political editor Sam Coates struggled a bit with this week's session.

You certainly wouldn't have guessed it was the final Sunak-Starmer face-off before some critical local elections - it was a PMQs lacking for "passion" and any "razzmatazz".

"It was very pedestrian," admits Sam, saying he has to apologise to viewers who had every right to expect more.

"The only thing that made me laugh was the Speaker at the beginning going, 'who's banging on the furniture?! They'll have to pay for the damage!'

"That's the closest we got to wit."

Sam notes one moment where, under questioning from Sir Keir, the prime minister refused to rule out scrapping the winter fuel allowance.

But the best exchange for Sam involved Stephen Flynn, the Westminster leader of this week's "most troubled party of all" - the SNP.

He asked about the deployment of UK forces to the Middle East to help US forces distribute aid in Gaza - and Mr Sunak didn't rule it out.

Stephen Crabb, the Tory MP for Pembrokeshire, is up next.

"Thousands of my constituents have lived with foul polluted air," he says, pointing to a local landfill site operated by a business.

"[That] company is owned by somebody with previous convictions for environmental crimes and who a few months ago gave £200,000 to help Vaughan Gething become first minister of Wales."

He also mentions a £400,000 loan given to another of the businessperson's companies by the Bank of Wales, which he says was overseen by Mr Gething as economy minister at the time. 

"Does the prime minister agree with me that this serious matter demands an independent investigation?"

Rishi Sunak says the case is "an incredibly important issue".

"I know that people in Wales are concerned about the relationship that he mentions and I also agree with him on the need for transparency and an investigation regarding the Welsh Labour leader, because it's very clear that the situation is not at all transparent and answers are needed."

The UK has "no legal obligation to accept returns of illegal migrants from Ireland", Rishi Sunak declares after a question from the DUP politician Carla Lockhart.

Referring to the Safety of Rwanda Act, which became law last week, he says "it's no surprise that our robust approach to illegal migration is providing a deterrent".

Ireland's prime minister has insisted the UK must respect an existing arrangement between the two countries to take back asylum seekers.

Simon Harris told Sky News yesterday that the UK must honour the deal, in place since 2020, as the row escalated over the Irish government's new plans to return to the UK asylum seekers who cross the border from Northern Ireland.

His comments came after Ireland's deputy prime minister and foreign secretary Micheal Martin said the threat of deportation to Rwanda was causing "fearful" migrants to head for Ireland instead of the UK.

You can read more on that row here:

By Gurpreet Narwan, political correspondent

With Israel determined to launch an offensive in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, the prime minister was pushed on the UK's position on a plan that has raised global alarm.

Against the backdrop of increasingly tense protests and counterprotests on US campuses, Mr Sunak was pushed on levels of humanitarian aid going into Gaza and the UK's ongoing arms exports to Israel. 

The prime minister held firm, pointing out that Israel has "a right to defend itself" and talked up UK efforts to get aid into Gaza.

It's a tense issue for Labour too, and the party could pay the price at the ballot box tomorrow, especially in constituencies with large Muslim populations.

"Our coast has taken a battering," the prime minister is told by Tory MP Peter Aldous as he asks about funding for infrastructure to protect coastal communities. 

Mr Sunak says almost £1bn of levelling up funding has been allocated to the east of England, including £75m for "coastal places".

He says he will secure a meeting between Mr Aldous, the MP for Waveney in Suffolk, and the relevant minister to discuss how his region can be further supported.

SNP MP Deidre Brock asks the prime minister about "shady" groups behind what she describes as "gutter politics". 

She raises a Greenpeace report that alleges 36 "supposed grassroots campaign groups" were "actually administered by Conservative staff and activists". 

The groups acted as "global forums for vile racism, antisemitism and Islamophobic attacks on Sadiq Khan", she says.

"Can the prime minister shed some light on the shady groups spreading abuse, their funding, their links to his party and whether he is aware of similar operations existing elsewhere in the UK?"

The prime minister stands and says he is unaware of the reports. 

He is unapologetic, however, for any Conservatives pointing out the "record" of other parties. 

Next to speak is Caroline Lucas, who brings up a potential Israeli invasion of the southern Gazan city of Rafah.

More than a million displaced Palestinians are sheltering in the city, which Israel claims is the last bastion of Hamas.

Charities, governments and humanitarian organisations on the ground have warned an attack would lead to thousands more Palestinians killed and injured. 

"All the signs are that Netanyahu is about to defy the international community," Ms Lucas says. 

"If that attack begins, will that be the moment when the prime minister finds the moral backbone to ban arms exports to Israel?

"And if not, how much more suffering has to happen before he acts to prevent further UK complicity and crimes against humanity?"

The UK provides a small amount of arms to Israel. 

The prime minister responds: "I've been crystal clear, we want to see humanitarian law respected and adhered to by all parties.

"Too many civilians have been killed and we do want to see Israel take greater care to avoid harming civilians.

"I've made these points repeatedly to Prime Minister Netanyahu specifically about the impacts of any military incursion into Rafah, and we continue to say to the Israelis at all levels that we want to see more aid going in and... a hostage deal so we can move towards a sustainable ceasefire."

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