PGCE personal statement What motivated me to choose teaching is my passion for mathematics, which I have always found beautiful, exciting and constantly challenging. I was introduced to the subject through puzzles and games, much like Gardner’s column in the Scientific American, during a class of recreational mathematics called “Fun Mathematics”. The feeling of exhilaration has stayed with me ever since and if there is one thing I would like to impart to children, that would be it. My first experience of working with children was gained while volunteering for a humanitarian project in rural Mozambique, where among other things, I prepared, organised and delivered sports and educational activities for children aged 5 to 16. My determined and resilient nature helped me in overcoming all the difficulties that I was confronted with on a daily basis, such as commuting to various remote villages, health and personal safety or communicating with children that only spoke local dialects (43). The latter was a very challenging task and it was here that my creativity and imagination shone the most. Not only did I have to adapt my teaching material …show more content…
During these years, I have managed to improve significantly on the way I introduce children to new material through the use of games, puzzles and animated presentations. I have learned that keeping students engaged is often difficult, irrespective of the quality of the lesson I had prepared beforehand or my own competence as a tutor. I have also become more patient, which in conjunction with my friendly demeanour, has helped me to relate to children with ease and confidence, thus making our lessons more interactive, engaging and