Louise O'Neill: Teaching is a vocation, not everyone can do it
Louise O'Neill: I had been brought up to have a healthy respect for the profession, too much respect to view it as an ‘easy’ job.
When I told people I was going to Trinity to study English and History, the first thing they always said was 'oh, so you’re going to be a teacher?' The truth was, I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to be when I grew up (god be with the days of the Celtic Tiger, when you could do an Arts Degree and just assume a well-paying job would fall into your lap upon graduation) but even at the age of 18 I knew I didn’t want to teach. Or, to be more accurate, I knew I couldn’t teach.
My mother had been a teacher before she had children, two of my aunts were teachers. I had been brought up to have a healthy respect for the profession, too much respect to view it as an ‘easy’ job. My sister did qualify as a primary school teacher and I see how she approaches her work, the seriousness with which she takes her responsibility. I saw how worried she was during the pandemic when schools were closed, her determination that no child would fall through the cracks on her watch. During the first lockdown, she sent a postcard to every boy in her class, just so they would know she was thinking of them.
There are priests in my family too, two granduncles who went to Korea in the 1950s on missionary work, and we are perhaps more used to speaking about ‘vocations’ when it pertains to those who choose lives in religious orders. But for all the jokes about teachers and their hours and the holidays, in many ways, it is a vocation too. Not everyone can do it.
This is why when DCU asked me to get involved with their Teachers Inspire initiative, I couldn’t say yes quickly enough. Launched in 2019, it was created as a way to celebrate teachers and to recognise the role they play in our lives and our communities. I think we’re all very much aware that a well-educated population is a key indicator of a successful country but it’s not just about maths and literacy skills; a good teacher can help their students feel supported and encouraged, ensuring they reach their potential.
A great teacher can inspire their students to push themselves beyond what they ever thought was possible. I was lucky in that I always felt safe in the classroom, and learning was something I enjoyed. I had lots of very good teachers — and a handful who went out of their way to encourage my interest in reading and writing. One such teacher, Ms Keane, is someone I reference regularly. Her classes were challenging and thought-provoking, and she really urged me to produce the best work I was capable of. She was the person who handed me a copy of Margaret Atwood’s seminal classic, , when I was 15, telling me she thought I would enjoy it.
That book changed my life. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if she hadn’t given me that book. In fact, I wonder if I would even be a writer. With that simple gesture that spring afternoon in our school library, she made me feel seen.
When I tell this story, most people tell me their own stories in return, of that one teacher they had whom they still remember fondly. The teacher who made a difference in their lives, and they could only appreciate that with hindsight. That’s where the Teacher’s Inspire initiative comes in — I’m asking you to share your stories with me! It doesn’t need to be anything grand. You don’t need to have won a place at Harvard Law School or played a pivotal role in developing the Covid vaccine because of some words of wisdom imparted by your third-class teacher. (Although if that is the case, I definitely want to hear that story…)
It can be anything. A teacher who helped you through a tough time at home. A teacher who didn’t give up until you had mastered algebra, despite your conviction you would never get it right. A teacher who gave up their free time to help out with the school play. If there’s any teacher you wish you could have thanked all those years ago, now is your opportunity to do so.
I’ll curate the entries, using them as a way of hosting a larger conversation about the role of teaching in Irish society. The teachers featured in the stories will be celebrated at a virtual event in late November at DCU’s Institute of Education but really, I am hoping that this will become an archive of sorts. Somewhere that people can go and reminisce about their own schooldays if they are fortunate enough to have good memories. Where teachers will be reminded that their work does matter, that it does have an impact. And where aspiring teachers might be prompted to consider choosing education for their career, in turn shaping a new generation of school children.
Giving them the hope, support, and care that all children deserve.
Share your story at teachersinspire.ie
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