I had, in fact, always wanted to become a teacher. At school, I took biology as an advanced-level subject. I was particularly interested in human biology topics. I knew that I definitely wanted to study biology. When looking for a second subject, chemistry seemed the obvious choice, especially because the two subjects complement each other well. In addition, I had enjoyed my chemical education in the sixth form. So, in the winter semester of 2003/04, I enrolled at Humboldt University in Berlin to study for a teaching qualification in biology and chemistry.

My entry into the profession was a conventional one, as is usual for teachers. I entered the teacher training programme in Berlin and taught biology and chemistry at a grammar school in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen. I had really good mentors in both subjects, who taught me a great deal about methodology and teaching. The colleagues at the school were very kind and helpful, even though their ideas about good teaching differed from what my mentors had taught me during my teacher training. I have to admit that it was only then that I began to develop a real enthusiasm for chemistry as a subject. This was also difficult because of the pressure to perform. Now I realise how fascinating it is to teach chemistry. Unfortunately, this was not shown to me at university.

Today I teach Biology and Chemistry with great enthusiasm at a comprehensive school in Berlin-Kreuzberg. I am also the form tutor of a Year 8 class, which brings with it a great many educational and organisational challenges. Many of my pupils do not have good foundations for learning: they cannot read and write well and have little general knowledge. Some also lack the ability to regulate their behaviour so that they can participate in lessons as part of a group without difficulty. However, with plenty of patience, encouragement and a good dose of humour, this can be managed well. I also have fantastic colleagues and a supportive senior leadership team who always give us great support.

You should enjoy working with children and young people, accompanying and supporting them. This requires a good knowledge of your subject, pedagogy and didactics. You should also be well versed in school law. Good time management is also very helpful if you want to experience as little stress as possible. Teamwork is becoming increasingly important, including at school. You will collaborate more frequently with colleagues. Last but not least, you should learn to reflect on yourself and your teaching in order to assess whether you are actually supporting the children in their learning. Only then will you be able to make improvements and continue to develop.

My typical working day usually begins the evening before: I check whether I have prepared everything for the following day’s lessons and also work on preparing some of the more complex lessons coming up over the next few days. My teaching day usually starts at 8 a.m. I am generally at school from 7.30 a.m. to collect photocopies and set up experiments. Depending on my timetable, I then teach three to six consecutive lessons. Fortunately, I rarely have to change rooms, as all my subject lessons take place in the same classroom. This saves a lot of time when preparing and following up lessons. After teaching, I either go home or do some sport. I need it to unwind. Yoga in particular does me good. However, at least once a week there are afternoon meetings lasting until 4 or 5 p.m. When I get home, I then speak to parents on the phone and deal with emails.

I completed a teacher-training degree for grammar school. My degree focused primarily on acquiring subject knowledge, with a little subject-specific pedagogy and even less general educational theory. Although much of this has little to do with the competences I need at my school today in order to be a good teacher and educator, the degree is still an important foundation for my profession. It is often more important than people realise for teachers to understand the subjects they teach and to have subject knowledge that goes beyond the school curriculum. I notice this especially when, for example, I teach ethics and physics outside my subject specialism in my class. If I am not well versed in the subject matter, I immediately become aware of how uncertain I am pedagogically, and my lessons suffer as a result. I also learnt at university how to prepare lesson content from a subject-specific pedagogical perspective and how to identify pupils’ interests and make them the starting point for learning.

I am passionate about working with children and young people. Above all, I am constantly positively challenged to find out how the subject matter relates to my pupils’ everyday lives. I repeatedly ask myself which chemical phenomena the children encounter in their daily lives. What do they understand better once they have discovered and can explain the chemistry behind them? That is why I greatly value the educational freedom I have in this context. Although it is a major challenge, adapting the level of the lessons to the children’s learning requirements so that they can master even the smallest next step is what I enjoy.

Yes. Definitely. Since I started teaching at a school in a socially disadvantaged area, an incredible number of tasks have been added. It is often a matter of compensating for the adverse learning conditions resulting from the social backgrounds of the children and young people. Although I do see some things as the parents’ responsibility, some parents are no longer able to offer their children any more support. The causes are often social inequalities and injustices that may be structural in nature.

As a teacher, there are opportunities to pursue a Career in schools. This means that you can take on functional positions (subject leader, subject area leader). You can progress into school leadership or become involved in training trainee teachers. You can of course also complete a doctorate.