When you're poised at the edge of a decision on whether to take the plunge and join the teaching profession or not, it's probably wise to do some sort of analysis of your motivations and how these might fit what the job entails. Why you want to take this step will have a huge impact on the way that you approach the job, the level of commitment you're prepared to give it, the path you take through your early years as a teacher and goals that you set for yourself for the long term.

Ask a group of teachers why they do the job and you'll probably get a different response from each teacher. But there are some common recurring themes.

It's a calling, a true vocation
For many teachers, the job is more than a way to earn money. 'I couldn't imagine doing anything else' said one primary teacher. 'It's in my blood I think' said another. If there's one thing that most teachers are agreed upon it's that the job really is a career. This is not something people opt for 'for the time being'. Teaching is a commitment, a calling and a vocation. As one secondary teacher commented, 'Give to it all you can, and it will sustain you for as long as you want it to'.

To give something back to society
It sounds like an old cliché doesn't it? But for many in the profession that sense of having gained from what society has to offer in terms of experiences, education and opportunities forms a central motivation for being a teacher. 'I've had a great time in my life' said one early years teacher. 'I loved my own school life and university was great fun. I then had a short career in publishing before deciding that what I really wanted to do was to teach. It was the only way I could think of to help others to experience some of the great things I had done. If I achieve that even for just a few of my pupils I will feel that it will have been worth it.'

To make an impact and a difference
'It's so easy to sit back and moan about the way life is now, how it's changed and how it used to be better in the past. But as a teacher I can honestly say that I'm right there in the thick of things, dealing face to face with the issues that are affecting young people - that are making them into the people they are and the adults they're going to be. I want to have an impact on those who are going to take us into the future.'

This is a theme that runs through the motivations of primary and secondary teachers alike. For this particular secondary teacher, there's a direct link between what he does in the classroom and the choices that those he teaches may make. When you think about it like this, it's an incredibly powerful and influential job to have.

To pass on a love for the subject
Primary and secondary teachers alike pass on a love for learning as well as a passion for their particular area of expertise. What better than to learn about design and technology from one who is totally inspired by it? Or to grasp the intricacies of mathematics from one for whom the subject will always hold magic? As this secondary geography teachers says: 'I will never cease to be amazed by the natural environment in which we live. I have a passion for my subject and if I can pass on just some of that awe and wonder to my pupils, I'll feel that's a job well done'.

To satisfy a desire to work with young people
People sometimes say how lonely a job in teaching must be. For most teachers, that's not their experience. Adult company is plentiful and the interactions with their pupils are diverse and stimulating enough to guard against social isolation. And there are, too, those who have a genuine desire to work closely with children; to nurture their development and help to encourage them to blossom into alive and alert, impassioned and dynamic young adults. 'I just love working with teenagers' one secondary teacher commented. 'It's such an amazing period of transition for them from childhood to adulthood and I find being a part of that very special indeed.'

To pursue personal development and lifelong learning
There's a saying that goes something like: You teach what you most need to learn. If we're all 'learners, doers and teachers' what better place to pursue personal development and lifelong learning than as a teacher in a school?

'I thrive on the idea of lifelong learning' said one secondary teacher. 'I get such a kick out of knowing that the experiences that the job gives me, the interactions I have with the kids and the opportunities I have to work with other teachers really does contribute to my own personal development. I would not be who I am today if it wasn't for the job I've been doing over the years.'

To be fully immersed in the local community
'I think I'm unusual in some respects' one primary teacher explains. 'I didn't go into it out of a love of children or a heartfelt desire to teach. What interests me most is community; how people help each other to thrive in life. There are certain centres in any community that are really at the heart of what it's like to live here and now. In my mind they're the hospitals and schools. The way we heal each other and the way we teach each other; these are issues at the very core of living in community with other humans. I wanted to be a part of that - fully immersed rather than detached and sidelined.'

To be part of an educational environment
'I loved my school days and being at university. I really seem to get a lot out of being a part of an educational environment', said one secondary teacher. Others also reported that the sense of community and common purpose in schools was what added greatly to their experience of being a teacher.

For lifelong job satisfaction
Fancy a career that gives you lifelong job satisfaction? This primary teacher thinks that teaching gives her that: 'Just as children move through schools facing different challenges and tasks, so too do teachers. I've been doing this job for nearly four decades and I can honestly say that it's given me lifelong job satisfaction. I've seen many changes during that time, but the core function of the job - that of teaching children - hasn't changed. It doesn't matter what the political climate is, when I'm in the classroom with my classes, it's that interaction that feeds me. I wouldn't do anything else.'

For stimulation at work
'Is it possible to be bored as a teacher? Never!' states one teacher. 'I challenge anyone to say that the job can ever be boring. You may not always like some of the gritty tasks such as report writing, but one thing that's certain is you'll always be stimulated and never be bored. To me, that's an essential quality in a job. I'd have to think very hard about giving that up.'

What makes a good teacher?
While there are several models of teacher effectiveness that can be incredibly useful when looking to assess your own style of working, in reality, the question of what makes a good teacher will be answered differently by each individual who's doing the job. In seeking to find out how those at the sharp end of the profession would answer that question, I asked a cross section of teachers, some primary, some secondary, what skills they possess that best help them to perform their jobs. Here are just some of the responses:

• An ability to manage time - there will be times when your workload will appear to be unmanageable. Add to that the constant deadlines of having to have bright and innovative lessons planned by certain times each and every day and you could feel swamped. Time management skills will get you through.
• Good people skills - between pupils, colleagues and parents, a teacher can interact with hundreds of different people each day. If you don't thrive on that the job's not for you.
• Personal strength and stamina - you have to know who you are and why you're doing what you're doing. Everyone has doubts at times but if your foundations are solid these doubts won't rock you too much.
• Good health - a rock solid immune system will help to avoid you catching every bug going each September!
• Self-respect and self-confidence - pupils can sometimes challenge our own self-belief, self-worth and self-respect. It's important to be fully aware of that and not to let confidence be knocked.
• Thinking skills - you have to be able to analyse and conceptualise.
• Leadership skills - even as an NQT you will be the leader in your classroom.
• Being a team worker - teachers cannot work in isolation. The job requires collaboration and cooperation.

Elizabeth Holmes is the author of The NQT Handbook published by RoutledgeFalmer. For further details visit www.nqthandbook.info

Originally published in Foundations for Teaching, Spring 2004