Marc Falconer

Name: Marc Falconer
Subject: Maths Teacher
Location: St Paul's High, Pollok, Glasgow
Teaching Experience: three years

When Marc Falconer stepped up to take his last free kick as a professional football player the last thing he imagined himself doing was standing in front of a classroom full of students teaching Maths.

At the age of 32, Marc decided to switch career after playing for many years at clubs including Queen's Park, Clyde and Dumbarton. He decided to go back to university in his late twenties after finding that he was spending more time coaching the youth team than playing on the pitch itself.

Marc said: "Things start to change as your football career goes on and things became a bit more unsteady when I was playing full-time for Clyde. I was spending more time with the team's youth academy and coaching some of their teenage players.

"As I spent more time coaching, I realised I enjoyed it more and that's when the thought of teaching entered my head."

Marc went back to university to finish his degree in engineering that he had started before going into football professionally and then he completed his teacher training qualification.

Marc said: "The pay is a lot better these days but there other benefits, such as the holidays, the hours and more time dedicated to marking. But to be honest, it’s just working with kids which makes it all worthwhile. Having the opportunity to make a difference to a young person or even to give them some direction in their life is really rewarding – and I've even helped some out with their football skills!"

I definitely feel that my experience in coaching the youth team at Clyde has really helped to develop my teaching skills and interaction with young people."

Marc has been teaching at St Paul's High in Pollok for three years now but he has already moved up the career ladder and is now working as a full-time guidance teacher.

"You used to think that you would only get promoted if you had been in the job for a long time but it's based on what you can bring to the job. So if you've got the drive to be a teacher and want to succeed in education, a wide range of opportunities for promotion are available."

"No two days are the same and you don't know what you’re going to come across when you arrive at school each day – but it's rewarding and fun, and you get paid well for doing it."