Class of 1974
Education
IF YOU STUDIED YOUR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME AT YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY OR FOUNDER COLLEGES, DID YOU GO ON TO POSTGRADUATE STUDY?
Yes, somewhere else.
JOB:
Supply Teacher – Reed
COUNTRY:
United Kingdom
NATIONALITY:
British
WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN THIS PHOTO AS YOUR YSJ SNAPSHOT?
The photo is from my Student Union card in my third year and it reminds me of the adventure I had while at Ripon College. The college and the courses I did set me up for an interesting life. While at Ripon I took advantage of an exchange with Keene State College in New Hampshire which led me onto going there to get a BSc Ed in my fourth year before I would start teaching.
WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND YSJ TO SOMEONE?
The college has a good range of courses and opportunities to do other activities. Geography was my major and long with my special study got us trips to many different parts of the country, learning a lot about our environment. The friendships made and the college community were unique and it is something to treasure.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY OR FOUNDER COLLEGES?
I had always had an interest in education and Ripon offered me that chance, which I took.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR SPECIFIC COURSE?
Firstly it gave me the chance to work in the community and help students learn. Also as I always had an interest in Geography and travel the course just added to my knowledge of the world we live in.
WHAT WERE THE BEST FEATURES OF YOUR COURSE?
The field trips, the exchange to Keene State. The range of information and topics covered to prepare you to teach. The three teaching practices which set you up to realise whether it was something you wanted to do and strangely enough it did.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING SINCE COMPLETING YOUR STUDIES?
My initial plan after graduating was to find a job and use my training to do this. The training must have been a good base as I have spent the last 50 years teaching. The opportunities education has offered have opened many doors with teaching students my main focus. This has led me to working in three different continents teaching nursery to 18 year olds. I have held numerous different posts such as Head of Department, Head of House, Youth Leader, D of E coordinator and Headmaster. I exchanged jobs and taught in Canada for a year and spent 11 years at The Continental School in Saudi Arabia. On returning to the UK I helped set up a private primary school and worked there before carrying on doing supply teaching. This is where I am in my life and it has been adventurous and fun.
WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A CURRENT STUDENT, OR ONE ABOUT TO GRADUATE?
Remember to always make the most of opportunities offered to you, you never know where they might lead. If you are going into education, every child is unique and there is always a way to help them learn.
HOW DID STUDYING AT YSJ HELP IN YOUR CAREER SEARCH/SUCCESS/CURRENT ROLE?
At the end of the course I felt I had the tools to help me succeed.