What I wanted to be when I grew up...

Cara Shafer,

secondary school teacher at Phorms Campus Berlin Mitte

I remember the first time I spoke in front of a large audience. I was taking part in the beauty and talent competition ‘Miss Slick Chick’. Apparently, my talent was talking with great passion and enthusiasm about my dog, Duffy. I was four years old. Although I didn’t win, my mum told me I was one of the favourites. After this early success, I took a ten-year break. In year 9, I rediscovered the stage, and took part in every high school theatre production. We even went ‘on tour’, visiting local primary schools, where we trod the boards. I developed a great deal of confidence as a result of these experiences and learned a few valuable lessons that help me every day in my teaching practice. My passion and my enthusiasm for sharing a subject is a gift. I hope that the students not only share my passion, but also that I encourage them to find their own and to pursue it with enthusiasm.

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Boris Braun,

secondary school teacher at Phorms Campus Hamburg

Back when I was just finishing school, various adults (teachers, parents) were already trying to convince me that I would make a great teacher. I wanted to be a veterinarian but I didn’t want to memorise all those Latin names by heart, so I studied biology up to a master’s degree – only to then switch to teaching 20 years later. I’ve had several exciting careers along the way that I still benefit from. I’ve been a web designer for BMW, a sales manager for skating clothes, an executive assistant for a daycare centre and a specialist in climate protection as well as a freelancer in environmental education for 12 years – all these detours have shaped me professionally and shown me that you don’t need to follow one straight path.

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Anne Röhner, 

lower secondary school coordinator at Phorms Campus Hamburg

My dream was to become a lawyer. I wanted everyone to be treated fairly and for the ‘bad people’ to get their comeuppance. My mother (who was a vocational teacher herself), my English teacher and other people around me growing up tried to convince me to take up teaching, which I emphatically rejected right up to the end of school.

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Monica Banks,

secondary school teacher at Phorms Campus München

I was a really big fan of Halloween. My mum taught me how to sew when I was very young and my costumes became my greatest passion. That’s where I got the idea of becoming a fashion designer. However, that passion faded and I became interested in careers like professional equestrian, marine biologist and vet. It was a long time before I decided I wanted to become a teacher. At uni I changed my main degree subject three times before I finally decided on education.

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Fiona Hartmann,

primary school teacher at Phorms Campus Frankfurt City

I spent the first six years of my life in Nabeul, Tunisia. One of my earliest memories was visiting the Roman ruins at Sbeitla. Digging around in the ruins and finding Roman coins and glass (which was still allowed at that time) gave me the greatest pleasure. This almost inevitably led to me wanting to become an archaeologist or a palaeontologist for the rest of my life! When I got older, my interest in Roman ruins blossomed into an interest in history. I finally decided to study history at university, with a focus on colonial history. Now I pass on my love of history, the Romans, ruins (and books!) to my year 2 students in Frankfurt.