I Never Thought I’d Be a Teacher — But Teaching Chose Me

As kids, many of us dream of becoming doctors, pilots, or even teachers. But if you’d asked me back then, teaching would never have made it onto my list.

Yet here I am today — not just teaching children, but teaching others how to teach kids. Life has its own beautiful way of surprising us, doesn’t it?

Want to hear how it all began? Let’s dive in.

A Turning Point in 2010 – Blessing in Disguise

It was the Great Recession of 2010. Jobs were vanishing everywhere, and our little family — my husband, our soon-to-be-born baby, and I — had to leave the Middle East and move back to Pakistan.

After my daughter was born, I looked at my husband one day and said, “If you’re not working right now, let me try to do something.”

That decision became one of the wisest of my life.

Instead of following the “expected” path of using my degree to join a bank or the corporate sector, I chose teaching. Honestly, it wasn’t out of passion at first — it was because I didn’t want to leave my baby behind in a 9-to-5 job.

But the truth? I had no real teaching experience. Except for helping classmates in group studies, I wasn’t confident at all. Facing a classroom full of children felt like an enormous responsibility.

Montessori Changed Me

That’s when I discovered London Montessori International (LMI). I enrolled in their Montessori teacher training program, and for the first time in my life, I truly understood what teaching is.

Montessori opened my eyes — it wasn’t just about academics. It was about guiding children, normalising their behaviour, and channelling their endless energy.

One and a half years later, I walked out with a diploma, a new confidence, and something I’d never expected to feel: I loved teaching.

That was just the beginning.

From Pakistan to the Middle East

After my training, I taught in a Montessori school in Karachi, learning under senior directresses who shaped me into a better teacher. Then, life took us back to the Middle East – Oman.

There, I was introduced to Jolly Phonics, another brilliant program that blended perfectly with Montessori. The results in my classroom were astonishing — parents could literally see the progress. Word spread, my classes filled up, and for the first time, I felt like I was making a difference.

I can’t lie — it felt like I was on top of the world.

Then Came COVID

Life took another turn, and we moved to the UAE; the pandemic followed closely behind. Schools shut down. Offices closed. The world stopped.

As I watched parents struggle with online schooling and teachers scramble for solutions, an idea struck me: Why not share my knowledge directly with parents?

So, I picked up a whiteboard, four markers, and a tripod to hold my phone. No mic. No fancy lights. Just me, my voice, and my experience. That’s how my YouTube channel was born. (https://www.youtube.com/c/homeschoolingwithhira)

It started with phonics, but soon I dug deeper — exploring spelling rules, grammar, and creative writing. I studied trainers from all over the world, learned new systems, and kept improving.

Slowly, people began to notice. They subscribed, messaged me, and thanked me. Their trust motivated me to go further.

From Teacher to Author

One milestone led to another. I published my first book on Amazon:
“English Spelling Rules – A Guide for Teachers and Parents to Teach Spelling Logically to Kids.” (https://a.co/d/fNadCU3)

To my joy, it started selling organically worldwide. That gave me the courage to keep creating more — Gleeful Grammar (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=gleeful+grammar+hira+tariq&i), Spelling Stories with Mr. Peanut (https://a.co/d/iuKrmct, https://a.co/d/1CKIsJn)  and more.

Every resource I made was designed with one goal: to make life easier for teachers and parents, especially those homeschooling their kids.

Discovering Creative Writing

Just when I thought I had “cracked” phonics and grammar, another challenge appeared: creative writing.

At first, I found no system that made sense. However, I then discovered Big Write & VCOP. Ultimately, I had a solid foundation to build upon. I trained, learned, experimented, and eventually developed my own structured lesson plans and PowerPoint slides to help teachers who felt stuck.

What once felt impossible slowly became my new passion.

Who I Am Today

Looking back, I smile at the girl who once said, “I could never be a teacher.”

Today, I proudly say, “I was born to be a teacher.”

Teaching has given me more than a profession — it has given me a purpose. A way to serve parents, teachers, and most importantly, children.

A Note to You ❤️

If you’re still here, reading my first-ever blog post, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your time means the world to me.

This is just the beginning of my blogging journey, and I promise that a treasure trove of stories, resources, and inspiration is coming your way.

Stay tuned — we’re just getting started! 🌸

Enthusiastic regards,

Hira tariq

Homeschooling with Hira