I went to University and read Drama and Theatre Arts, then headed on to drama school, where the misery set in. I played most of the leads in my year's productions, but despite the success, have never felt more out of place and 'wrong' in my life. That is, till I left 'school' again and started my career in acting, which is a euphemism for auditioning, which is also a euphemism for selling women's clothes in Marks and Spencer's.
It turned out I was not born to be an actress.
Life was grim. Friends were buying car, houses and travelling... I was stuck and the advice from drama school was to stick at it; 'Sometimes it takes as long as 3 years for graduates to get a job'. I cried a lot. On the way home from M & S one night, I went to volunteer at an MLD ( Moderate Learning Difficulties) school close to home. Within a week I was employed on a part time contract assisting the teaching of drama from reception through to year 11. Within a year, I was applying for PGCE's and then teaching posts. That was 16 years ago. I have never looked back.
'Those that can do, those that understand teach' Aristotle
I wanted to spend my first blog saying why. Why teach? Especially when you teach at secondary school (11yrs - 16yrs) as I do. We moved house two years ago and in the process have met a great number of new people, all of whom expressed some kind of admiration ('You must have a lot of patience) or humour (OMG why would anyone do THAT?) at my chosen profession. I've used a different answer every time:
- I love it
- Young adults people are endlessly fascinating, not to mention funny and good company
- I love it
- Introducing my subject
- I love it
- Finding new aspects of my subject every year
- I love it
- Developing young people into more rounded citizens
- I love it
- Directing productions
- I love it
- Going out on Theatre Trips, Backstage Tours and the like
- I love it
- Enriching the whole school curriculum, making school THOUGHT PROVOKING, not just about qualifications and targets
- I love it
- Developing cross curricular links - writing great lessons in teams
- I love it
- Knowing through the response of young people to drama that our future is in safe hands
- I love it
The love has survived.
For me, teaching, makes me feel better about our very difficult and challenging world; it gives me hope and it makes me feel alive. Even on the really difficult, challenging days, when year 11 are exhausted and apathetic as the coursework deadline approaches, when year nine are just difficult and year seven still need lots of support. Even with Gove as secretary of state. Even when... so many blogs left to write.
Happy teaching days.
