Becoming a teacher: Applying for a job and choosing a school

First things first: Who are you? Faced with the challenge of finding a school where you will be happy in your work, where does a newly qualified teacher begin? Well, begin with yourself. Ask yourself a series of fundamental questions: Why did I choose to teach? What type of school am I most likely to feel at home in? And finally, where do I want to live, and with whom? Only once you have answered those questions honestly for yourself can you begin the task of searching for the school in which to begin your career. I began teaching because I loved English literature. I had no burning desire to improve social mobility; rather, I wanted a job where I got paid for talking with young adults about Shakespeare. I wanted to live in Brighton. I knew I could cope with a relatively posh environment because of my time spent as a youth in the golfing world. Eastbourne Sixth Form College, the former boys’ grammar school, was a perfect fit. Five A-level groups in my first year, as well as assis