HOW I BECAME A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER?

I am a Spanish Language and Literature teacher in a High School. As a matter of fact, I don´t know exactly how I became a teacher. I think it was by chance. When I was a child I never thought of becoming a teacher. I remember there was a time in my life that perhaps was the trigger: when I was nine, I was sick for a couple of years and I distracted myself by reading books. At that time, reading helped me a lot and I began to enjoy Literature more than anything else, so when I had to decide what to study at University, it was clear to me that I wanted to get paid for reading, so I studied Spanish Literature.

When I finished my degree I needed to work but I had never thought before how to make a living. Having finished my studies, I had a few opportunities, or at least, they were hard to come by. Once I finished studying, one of these opportunities arose was writing books, becoming a writer, but this takes time and does not give a lot of money, especially at first, and also you have to be gifted. This wasn´t  the case for me. You can also work for a publishing house, making textbooks, but this seemed very boring. Another pathway for me was to be a telemarketer, at least you could spend the whole day talking, although, about everything but Literature based.

I also tried to work for the Instituto Cervantes, perhaps with a little luck I would´ve been able to teach Spanish Language to foreigners. They interviewed me and I was offered to be the "go for girl", to bring coffee for the boss, etc...I obviously refused.

By then it was pretty clear that it would be difficult to get paid to read for the rest of my life. My childhood was over at that moment.

Also, at that time, Spain was in crisis, like always. This was a difficult situation.

I worked on several things, I didn´t like any of them: as a business woman for IBM, as an access controller to an electricity company, as a tutor for children...as an access controller I could read enough, so I was on the verge of staying there forever...

Eventually I got married and I had children and a mortgage and...had to make a living, and nobody wanted to pay me for reading, so one day I thought I should prepare myself for the big bad world and get a proper job as a teacher, so I had to do an exam to get the position. I had to read a lot, this was the good part of the preparation, and finally I passed my exams and took my position as a teacher.

Today I am not paid just for reading, but for teaching to speak, to read and to express yourself...It is not exactly what I wanted, but it´s pretty good...