This document contains responses from over 50 teachers from 17 countries on what motivates them to continue teaching after 30 or more years. Some of the key reasons mentioned include:
- Appreciation and positive impact on students, seeing students learn and grow.
- Enjoyment of constant learning and challenges of the profession.
- Passion and mission to educate others.
- Interacting with new generations of students every year keeps teachers feeling young and energized.
- Despite hardships, the rewards of teaching make the challenges worthwhile.
7. …and these…
• Salary
• Time (lack of)
• Unreasonable
(demands)
• Vacations spent on
grading
• Weight (of bags)
• Xeroxing (out of
pocket)
• Yard duty
• Zzzzz (never enough)
These are just a few
of
the hardships -
just the tip of the
iceberg,
really!
8. Considering there are no medals to be
had, I asked…
“What keeps you
motivated to
keep teaching
after at least
30 years in the
profession”?
9. 56 Teachers, from 17 countries replied!
• Israel
• Canary Islands
• Australia
• Austria
• Belarus
• Global (online)
• Greece
• Guatemala
• Russia
• Japan
• Malta
• Poland
• Turkey
• UK
• USA
• Ukraine
• Vietnam
11. Their message is loud and clear:
Students DO CARE!
Teachers matter!
12. 31 years
36 years
“I love the challenge
of making it work”.
Mitzi Geffen,
Israel
“I have the feeling I learn
something new with each
lesson and with every student”.
Marjorie Rosenberg,
Austria
13. 35 years
“When my 12th grade students kiss me
goodbye for the last time, tell me how
much they loved my lessons, how much I
taught them not only English but also
about life and they promise they will
visit…”
Sara Vatik, Israel
14. 30 years
“Listening, learning and laughing with
my high school kids”!
Arlene B. U.S.A
30 years
“I keep what I give”.
David Deubelbeiss
Guatemala
16. 32 years
“I’m just passionate about people, getting
to know them, learning from them, giving
them better prospects in life, being creative
with lessons, reinventing the wheel,
affecting learners yet making them
autonomous”.
Jean Sciberras, Malta
17. 32 years
“There is nothing else I know how
to do and I need to do something
for a living and in any case I love
being in a classroom and I love
the students”.
Phil Keegan, Vietnam
18. 34 years
45 years
“… The pleasure of challenging
young minds, encouraging them
to stretch their minds, to talk and
think”.
Veronica Foldes, Israel
“The variety and the
students”.
Marie Pettigrew
UK and abroad
19. Israel
“It's what I do and who I am; it's
my essence; touching lives and
being touched”.
Rochel Mizrahi, Israel
20. 31 years
“The fun never ends”!
Laura Woodward, Turkey
30 years
“I feel I have a mission to
accomplish”
Esther Esses, Israel
21. Over 30…
“Those moments when a student
appreciates your hard work in
supporting them, either verbally or-
even better - in writing”.
Nancy Peled, Israel
22. 35 years
30 years
“Seeing how the
students improve”.
Karenza, Spain
“Passion for teaching,
love for students and
positive energy”.
Beata, Poland
23. 45 years
"Everything is in an eternal flux of change.
Things appear and vanish." However what we
give to others can't be taken from us. I still
enjoy teaching because I feel I can make a
difference in my students' lives.
Mina Tzur, Israel
24. How to stay Motivated?!!
• Try new things!
• Find a hobby!
• Keep learning!
• Attend conferences!
• Build your own online
support staff room!
• Marry a supportive
spouse!
•Remember that you
make a difference!
32 years
25. 37 years
35 years
“Appreciation from
my students”
Renee, Israel
“The thrill of having the
privilege of helping people
to learn”.
Amadeu, Spain
26. 52 years
“My vision that everyone can learn
to learn and consequently make a
difference in their lives”.
Rachel Segev Miller, Israel
27. “The sense of mission”
Bronia. Israel
30 years
“Love of the students and belief
that the work is vital”.
Debby Friedman, Israel
32 years
28. 34 years
“Teaching is never boring, it's a
constant challenge and the kids
are quite funny”!
Michele Ben, Israel
29. 33 years
I'm still trying to work that out
in a way that doesn't sound
clichéd!
Jan Wright, Spain
31. 42 years
“Teaching keeps me
young and energetic!”
Avigail Livne, Israel 38 years
“The illusion of my students.”
María del Pino, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
32. 33 Years
“The kids are what keeps me going
and the joy I get from interacting
with them!”
Sandy Regev, Israel
34. 32 years
“The STUDENTS who come in all
shapes and sizes with a range of
abilities”.
Sarah, Israel
45 years
“A love of life, a love of children and a
great curiosity about the world
around me”.
Patricia Reifen, Israel
35. 37 years
“I do enjoy both seeing students gaining
confidence and improving the ways to
assist them in it”.
Anna Yermolenko, Russia
36. 33 years
“Belief in and love for the students. Also
knowing it makes a difference to the
students long after we part”.
Debby Zweibach, Israel
37. 34 years
30 or so…
“The idea that I can still
make a difference in
students' lives”.
Susan Bedein, Israel
“The same as 34 years ago, I still
love the profession and the
pupils”.
Sharon Shapira, Israel
38. 31 years
"Forever changing what I do
in class”.
Wendy Segal, Israel
35 years
“I like imparting knowledge”.
Tsippi Sandler, Israel
39. 32 years
32 years
“I still really enjoy connecting with
teens”.
Fruma Cohen, Israel
“Constantly creating a buzz in the
classroom which inspires and motivates
students to do their best whatever age,
level or ability”. Susan Hillyard, Global
40. Almost 30 years
“My joy at imparting knowledge and
seeing that the students have learnt,
but I am very lucky to work with a
supportive team in a wonderful
school”.
Jackie Keller, Israel
41. 48 years
Teaching is my anchor -
my life outside the class
is irrelevant. I pull
myself together.
Miriam Lapid, Israel
42. “….Observing the brilliant careers my ex-
students are making; and I just love my job.
There is no better job than teaching English,
because you are continuously looking for
information and materials, and keep learn so
many exciting things three to ten years ahead
of those who do not speak English. And you
feel great talking with students. They keep
you updated too”.
Valentina Holubeva, Belarus
israel
33 years
43. 47 years
“The interaction with the younger
generation keeps me invigorated. I
enjoy the process and the outcome”.
Anna Kilevich
44. Almost 30
“I love to see the students progress
and discover the English language
and find it useful to learn not for
grades but for active life”.
Marthe Ohana, Israel
45. 34 years
“The challenge of learning to see
through student posturing to the
hearts behind it, and learning to listen
to 'wants' and identifying the 'needs'
that students don't know how to
communicate”.
Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto, Japan
47. The following are responses from
teachers who have been
teaching for less than 30 years
but added their thoughts…
48. • “The key motivation is progress of my students,
my own experience, growth and constant
professional development”. (Dmitri Stepanov,
Belarus)
• “Money”, Elena Sivtsova, Russia
• “ I love what I do”. Cristina Cabal, Spain
• “Every class is different, just find the way to
reach them”. Sara G. , Israel
• “Thankful students, please”! Elena, Ukraine
• Variety - I've taught from age 3 to 73 - never
boring. “ Marlene, Israel
