Work

Having a good job is what makes people feel the security that they will have a comfortable style of life. Some people have the possibility to achieve their aims and have their dreamed jobs; in other cases people have to deal with the feeling of boredom and lack of satisfaction for not having the ideal job they would like to have. In ‘Work’, four writers explore what is interesting, boring, dangerous and exciting about people’s working lives.

Jane Mckie’s poem ‘Tin Quartet’ refers to those jobs that no longer exist and tells the story of a harsh and uncomfortable occupation. The poem also makes reference to working in very bad conditions and this fact reminds me of a situation that I noticed while I was doing the subject Trabajo de Campo in second year. I remember my group and I had to observe an English lesson in Escuela de Comercio Nº 3 and the teacher was really nice with us. The thing is that there was not enough physical space and the students sat uncomfortably. The board was all written and there was very little space left where the teacher wrote whatever was necessary. It was also too hot and they did not have a fan either. It was evident that none of them were cosy there. Then we spoke with the teacher and she told us that unfortunately students are victims of bureaucracy and we, as future teachers will have to learn to work with the little resources we may have.

In the two short stories ‘The Secret Life of Dads’ and ‘Seagulls’ I could notice that they both make reference to work and identity and also to power, expectations and disappointment. In ‘Seagulls’, when the protagonist, who is a puppeteer, talks about not having much luck in the job he has chosen. This reminds about my parents’ expectations when I told them the career I wanted to follow. They said that I was going to be underpaid and that because of my temperament it was going to be very difficult for me to deal with children and adolescents. Thanks God this have changed and in the last years I became in a person much more patient and I learnt to deal with adolescents and in the case of working with children, I have realised that working with them means coming back to my childhood and I really enjoy teaching them. They have something special that when I spend time with them I feel full of life…I feel happier.


Some people work because they have needs. They have responsibilities and though they do not like what they do, they do it anyway because it is just a job for them. For some others, and I include myself, our work shape our identity, making our labour significant and part of our every day lives. I have to say that I consider my job a blessing. I have the pleasure to teach people, especially children and I feel I am being part of the development of our future, and that makes me feel very proud of. Sometimes people ask me why I chose this career and the first thing I answer is ‘because I enjoy it’, and I think that it is great when you do what you like and what you enjoy, and that is what I feel about my work. I love it and the love that I have for the English language becomes me in someone more patient and helps me to encourage and motivate my students to learn it. The day that nobody enjoys my classes I will seriously consider giving up as I would not like my students to feel they are obliged to stay in my classes. I want to transmit the same passion I have for this language, otherwise I will put an end to this.