My decision to retrain as a teacher did not come in a blinding flash; it was more of a gradual realisation that it was what I wanted to do.

Since leaving school I had worked as a library and information professional, even gaining the post-nominal letters M.I.Inf.Sc as a full Member of the Institute of Information Scientists.

I was well paid, I enjoyed the work and I was, I am told, good at it. So, why the change?

The first factor was that after four years at British Gas, I was made redundant. I left at the end of May 1996 with no job lined up and the idea of spending the summer in the USA.

As it turned out, I ended up as a counsellor at a private, co-ed summer camp in Northern Michigan teaching fencing - easily the most enjoyable time of my life.

I had worked with children before as a fencing coach at Reading Activities Centre, and I knew that I liked teaching children to fence. Summer camp was somehow different. I think because of the range of activities and the emphasis on 'learning about life'.

New job

When I left the camp in August of 1996, I did not intend to return. The plan was to resume my career and carry on as before. I got a permanent job very quickly - almost too quickly.

I found that my interest was not there and I didn't get the same feeling of satisfaction. It didn't help that I was travelling between Reading and London everyday and the rat race began to take over.

By March 1997, I knew I'd made the wrong decision, so I resigned so that I could return to the camp during the summer. It was another wonderful year. I returned as a 'unit head' responsible for planning activities and games for 9 to 10-year-olds and I began to seriously consider the idea of teaching.

I talked to the older camp staff, many of who were teachers, and particularly to the camp owner, Larry Stevens. They all spoke with such enthusiasm about teaching and children and more importantly to me, with real pleasure and encouragement about me becoming a teacher.

When I got home, I requested prospectuses and made enquiries about teacher training courses and I took a number of short-term contracts, as I knew that money would be a problem.

Accommodation

I applied to Reading University and to Oxford Brookes and was offered places starting in 1998 at both. I chose Reading because they could guarantee accommodation on campus.

I decided early on that I wanted to experience the whole of university life and not just commute in. I think I've made the right decision.

I am into my fourth week now and it is going very well. The number of mature students pleasantly surprised me not just in terms of age, but of attitude too.

Fresher's Week was great fun. I haven't felt excluded by my age, although there are a few jokes at my expense when I choose to sleep rather than party until 3am! I joined the Hockey, Fencing and Film clubs and have had the opportunity to meet and talk to people outside of the education course.

Having worked I am used to getting up early and working to 5 or 6pm. This has been a great advantage and has allowed me to keep on top of the work.

Body language

I have been amazed by the number of times that my previous experience in library work or management has come in useful. Last week we talked about body language and the physical environment of the classroom. No good management course is complete without a talk on body language and how to arrange an office!

On a more mundane level, the ability to use a computer (to type, even) and to communicate effectively are good skills to have.

I am a little worried about the essays I have to write. It has been a long time since I've had to write one. My personal tutor is very supportive, as are all of the staff. The school experience has been very enjoyable and I can hardly wait for the block experience at the end of the term. The science lesson on plastics that I had to plan and teach last week went very well.

Why do I want to be a teacher? Working with children is the most tiring and frustrating thing I have ever done, but easily the most rewarding. Helping a child to read, to wonder about the world, to be inquisitive, to understand maths or to be enthusiastic about science is something that I find worthwhile and challenging.