I put the ad up to check if anybody had board games lying around the house. If they do, I'd be happy to put them to good use with the kids I teach. I finished my exams for primary teaching during the summer and I've been lucky enough to get a job teaching second class. I need to put the money I've been allocated to the best use possible across 12 subjects – that's a lot of resources to buy. These days no school has money to waste.

I tried to get games in toy shops and on eBay but they were very expensive so I just thought that people might have old games that they'd sell cheaply and I'd save some money for other things I need for the class.

This is my third time changing careers. I always wanted to do primary school teaching. I started out with a science degree and worked in food science for a little while. Then I decided to be a maths and science teacher before finally making the decision to go for primary teaching – but that meant I had to go back and do Leaving Cert Irish again because I didn't have the honour in it. I think I dwindled for a while because of the Irish thing. I couldn't really face the thought of the Leaving Cert again – even if it was only one subject. But I finally made the decision, went for it and got the honour in Irish, with help from a retired Irish teacher who lives up the road from me in Cabra.

There's huge competition at the moment for primary teaching places. There are literally hundreds of applicants for each job. But I think it's all cyclical and with teachers retiring and the baby boom at the moment, there may well be a shortage of teachers in a few years' time.

I certainly don't think there are loads of applicants for primary teaching simply because of the recession. By and large, most people who go for primary teaching have always wanted to do it but put it on the back burner. A lot of people may have been married and had a few children before deciding the time was right to do it. Nobody I know went back because their job wasn't working out or because of recessionary times – they went back because they were mature and it was something they really wanted to do.

I suppose some people think teaching can be tough, but I don't think it's hard if you love it. You get all sorts of kids and personalities and all sorts of abilities and every day is different. What I would see as a challenge is to plan for the year and make sure I cover everything but I certainly wouldn't see the children as a challenge.

Some days it can really lift you. If you're having a bad day, the girls will always say, "Teacher, you look lovely today. I love your earrings". It's gas, the girls always have a comment for you. They're very complimentary and it's sweet because they love their teacher. Last year, I was working part-time at the same school and at the end of the year they did a petition and got all the kids to sign it so they'd keep me as their teacher. It was very funny. They really make me laugh. I wonder how they come up with some of the stuff. One thing I really notice about the kids I teach is how confident they are which I think is great to see. It really stands to them.

I haven't had one reply to the ad. I think people are strangely attached to board games from when they were young. It reminds them of so much from back then. Our favourite at home was Snakes and Ladders and I can remember all the hours we spent playing it and maybe that's why people are reluctant to hand them over.