Making the transition into teaching;
Thomas Riley
What did you do before training to teach?
I was the store director at Gotham Gaming in Lincoln. My job involved everything; day to day running of the store, managing staff, interacting with customers, bookkeeping, etc.
What inspired you to get into teaching?
I have always loved helping people in my retail career. The profit aspect is not particularly enticing to me, but showing people the history of video games, sharing information about how they are made, and even just reconnecting people with something from their childhood are the parts I really enjoyed. As I move into teaching, I think that my ability to be able to constantly adapt to an ever-changing role will be useful in the classroom. You end up doing anything and everything when you own and run your own small business, and you're always learning new skills on the fly and constantly adapting.
As you move into teaching, what are you most excited about?
Honestly, everything feels surreal right now as I move away from my business and towards teaching. But I'm just looking forward to being in a classroom, working with the students, and demonstrating why I have always loved mathematics.
Where do you see your career in five years' time?
I've never been one to plan long term in too much detail but I definitely see myself still teaching maths, although I would consider branching into subjects such as IT or taking on a higher role if these opportunities present themselves in my journey.