Aith music teacher on why it is the ‘perfect vocation’

An Aith Junior High School music teacher has joined a national campaign which aims to attract more people to the career.

Cheryl Mackenzie switched to teaching from her previous career as a youth worker. And now she is doing her bit for the Scottish government’s “Teaching Makes People” campaign.

It targets university undergraduates and those looking for a career change and comes after a similar recruitment drive last year called “Inspiring Teachers”.
The government says that led to a 19 per cent increase in applications from people who wanted to train to be a teacher.

Ms Mackenzie hopes sharing her experiences will encourage others to consider a career in teaching.

She said: “I enjoyed my previous job as a youth worker but it didn’t offer the same challenge and continual development of myself that I felt I needed. A teaching career seemed like the ideal choice and I wanted to raise awareness of the importance of music as a subject.

“No two days are ever the same. I need to be organised and ready for lessons but also adaptable and able to change tack if required. I listen to the pupils and what they want to learn then I try to incorporate it into lessons.

“I want pupils to have control of their own learning but with me guiding and directing them to the content they need in order to build and apply their knowledge.

“If you are someone who really responds to continually developing yourself then consider teaching. You meet loads of amazing young people and work closely with them to help them achieve in school and develop skills they can apply later in life. If you have a passion for your subject and you want to share it, this is the perfect vocation.”

The Scottish government says it is investing £88 million this year to recruit and retain teachers across the country.