What would you like to be when you grow up?” It’s a question we’ve all been asked. Invariably the answer is something like a sweetshop owner, as we often first face this question at an age when our loved ones could readily be swapped for a bag of sticky treats. As we grow up, the question is phrased differently and framed by different people, but the essential ingredient remains the same: “What would you like to be?”

I have wanted to be many things: a lawyer, a journalist, a bookshop manager or owner, a professional footballer, a writer and a rocket scientist. Curiously, only one choice has remained constant from about the age of seven: teaching.

OK, so the holidays were an overriding factor in the decision-making process when I was seven, but the idea of teaching always appealed to me. I finally decided that I would apply last summer, just a little too late for the 2007-2008 academic year. This, I told myself, was a good thing. I could take my time, adopt a studied approach to my choice of course and academic institution, perhaps do some work experience and ask some questions. I have done all of those things and found that most people were enthusiastic and encouraging about my chosen path. It was only the teachers who seemed to think it was a bad idea. “What do you want to do that for?” they asked. “Are you sure you want to be a teacher?”

But I think teaching is a great profession. I’ve had the happiest days of my life at school and developed a passion for learning that I have been grateful for ever since.

The hope that I could do the same for others is something that drives me as I embark upon my PGCE. I want to invigorate the minds of children, make learning a fun and rewarding experience and instil a passion that will enable them to become what they want to be. It may seem idealistic, but illusions can be shattered later. Wish me luck.

Matt King is starting a PGCE in primary education at Brighton University on Monday.