Terry Wawn: Reminiscences of a lifetime in teaching
I was born in London, I went to school in London, I worked in London, so I can call myself a Londoner, even though I worked in eight different countries over 28 years. I’m now back in England, on the south coast seaside resort of Eastbourne, ‘the sun trap of the south coast’, so the tourist brochures claim.
I was a war baby, that is World War Two, and as a child my family were evacuated out of London. We moved home a lot, so because of this, counting on my fingers, it seems that I went to 6 different primary schools and 2 senior schools. In my last school in London, I was made a prefect during my senior year, which meant I helped the teachers supervising younger pupils. I enjoyed it immensely and it persuaded me to become a teacher.
At this time, I took one of my first trips abroad as a young man; I went with a friend to Paris and stayed with his relatives. During my time there, someone from his family read my palms, and I shall always remember they said during my life I would have two careers. Nevertheless my career planning was taken from me because in those day a young man did national service. I became a soldier for two years in the education corps and yes, you have guessed; teaching soldiers!
From Teacher to Student
After national service and university, I became a teacher. I only taught for five years in three different schools. These were deliberate moves and I recommend this to anybody entering the profession. The first was a large London comprehensive school and was very supportive for a new teacher. The second was a rough school in central London and the teaching was tough. You really learn how to teach in this semi-dangerous environment, for example you never turn your back on the class.
My last full time teaching role was in a London leafy suburb for upper middle-class families where the fathers were professionals in the city and caught the 8.30 am train every morning. Here, teaching was easy. My discipline was just the sound of a loud cough from me which hushed the class. Wonderful I thought! When I arrived at this school having come from the school near where Jack the Ripper murdered his victims a hundred years before, I thought I had arrived in heaven because the children were so well-behaved. Actually, I understood after a while these children who conducted themselves so perfectly had just as many hangups and problems deep down as the city kids, but they were able to hide them better.
The Eternal Student
Perhaps I’m the eternal student because after my five years of teaching I decided to return to university to do an art and design course for another four years. I needed to do this because I thought I had not taught for five years, I had taught for one year, five times over. I had the prospect of life stretching away like this repeating myself for another 40 years, I needed progress.
My time at art college was a seminal period of my life. It widened my horizons and enabled me to step way beyond my comfort zones. It allowed me to be curious and investigate possibilities beyond my previous boundaries. My course opened doors for me to people outside my social circle: people from abroad, rich people, artistic people, Jet Setters, musicians, artists, scientists. There was even a young lady student whose father owned a cattle ranch in Argentina. I was invited to her wedding and the entertainment put on was by a pop group who were in the top ten in the charts!
From Shoreditch to the States
My first higher education work was at Shoreditch College which later merged with Brunel University. It was a teacher training college for crafts and technology and it was the only college in the UK which specialised in these activities. I was there for over 10 years. After that time the governing powers in the country’s school planning decided that most of the subjects the college offered had become obsolete. My colleagues, 28 of us, were facing redundancy. Colleagues who had worked hard all their professional lives to rise to this level, suddenly were told, ‘no thank you, you are not needed anymore!’
Not everyone suffered from the demise of my department, I for one did very well because I was given a year’s sabbatical. With the support of the Goldsmiths Company, London, I was introduced to 25 Art and Design departments in USA universities. So in my VW camper van, I travelled for four months across the States, calling in on these Art and Design departments.
An American Experience
I researched department’s programmes, investigating the preparation they gave their students for when they go out into the world of work. What projects were the students given by their professors that orientated them towards commission demands of future customers? Were they ready and able to earn a living? One of their favourite ploys was to change some small detail of the commission brief so that they needed to adjust their offering to conform to the new altered brief. It’s a good exercise and it can engender panic in some students, but it’s all good practise for the future.
In some universities I stayed awhile, becoming a visiting professor and made friends with my American hosts. In doing this I could immerse myself in their work demands and pressures. The main difference I discovered was although they had a three semester year similar to the UK, in the US they were only required and paid for two semesters. They could volunteer to work for the full third semester, but most took time away from teaching to research and publish. It’s ‘publish or die’, they say, but this is easier when given time off during the working year.
One thing I found very flattering whilst in the USA was that my English accent was received with relish. Sometimes they just sat there and listened to me speak. I was the instant success and centre of attraction basking in the glory. At last, I thought, I’m someone important.
Joining York St John
Later, on my return to the UK, a friend showed me an advert for an art and design lecturers job vacancy in York. It was for my specialist subject, art metals, such as jewellery and silversmithing. Initially I wasn’t keen because the travelling stone was still rolling around in my dreams, but he said this type of work comes along so infrequently I must take this opportunity.
So I did accept, and actually the lecturing position turned out to be enjoyable and challenging. It opened up more responsibility in my department and the national education scene. My personal commission work expanded, and the college studio for jewellery and silversmithing became full of students either taking a formal class with me, or doing extra work for their own satisfaction. Lots of young women attended classes and used the studio, and I hope that some of them went on in later life to work in their own workshops.
Added Responsibility
I also started to gain wider recognition for my jewellery and silversmithing, with exhibitions arranged mostly through the Goldsmiths company in the UK, US and Europe, with the occasional one man exhibition. I also became a resident tutor, meaning that I became responsible for several halls of residence. This was an interesting job dealing with student social issues. It also meant being called out at 3 o’clock in the morning to deal with student hijinks in the halls! The practice for students was to go to a different hall of residence and have fun because they were difficult to trace afterwards. Plus, any damage would be charged to residents in that particular hall, not to the trouble makers.
The university lectureship gave me membership to several national committees and organisations. These dealt with educational standards and planning, and I did inspection work in schools and other universities. This demanded that I travelled the country, often staying away from home. Plus, because I had connections with St Petersburg, I became what Dr McGregor the college principal, called, ‘Our Russian man’! At one time, I was almost commuting regularly between York and St Petersburg, developing and organising academic exchanges. I also did some lecturing there, to the point that I was earning two salaries, one in English pounds and the other in Russian roubles. I lived with a welcoming Russian family who were so generous in taking care of me during my stay, that it was absolutely delightful and I happily integrated into Russian life.
At the age of 52 I was offered early retirement.
WHOOPEE.
At last, I could travel. The first choice was to return to Russia. But I still wasn’t satisfied, I needed a new location, so China was next on my list.
From retired to teaching (again)
China is on the other side of the world, and the only impressions we get of it in the west is from TV. Going there had all the excitement of going into the unknown, and on arrival I was not disappointed. I was completely captivated by everything I experienced, and this feeling still remains today. It is one of the most interesting countries I’ve ever visited, with it’s mysterious and beautiful culture, and its peoples’ overwhelming hospitality and friendship. For example, I usually only ate at home one evening a week. The other evenings I was invited out to students’ and colleagues’ homes. Even now, I am in regular contact with three friends I met there twenty-five years ago.
My first visit was with a group of teachers who were there for a short time teaching in two northern cities of over a million inhabitants. China was just opening up, and we were treated exceptionally well. We were invited to numerous banquets with food piled high on the table. This is a Chinese custom showing good hospitality and is usually followed by solo singing. I mean, everyone, including visitors, were expected to stand up and give a solo rendition of a popular song, like in Victorian times. The first time this happened it came as a shock to all of us!
One of our party had come with us to select a female Chinese student to study with expenses paid at her UK university. It was necessary for her to make this personal selection otherwise a man would be sent, or the daughter of a high Chinese official. This experience set my ambition to help women in countries which don’t prioritise women’s education.
A New Chapter
Having stayed in China for five years I started a new chapter in my travels. This started one Chinese New Year’s holiday when I went on holiday to Thailand. From a sunshine beach where the temperature at that time of year never drops below 30° C, I thought to myself, why should I return to cold Beijing? So, I moved on from China. First I went to Bangkok, and then later to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Bangkok is a modern 21st-century city full of traffic jams, shopping malls and pollution. I taught at the premier University of Thailand in the centre of Bangkok, Chulalonkorn University, named after a past king. My average Thai student was laid-back and would invariably arrive late. My lessons, although timetabled for 9am, would not start until perhaps 9:45am. I remember pointing this out to my class, telling them that I had previously taught in China where classes started at 8 am, but the students would arrive from 7:30 onwards to get themselves ready. Chinese students would even put tape recorders on my desk so that they could listen to my lesson again! The Thai students thought this was funny and a good laugh, saying, ‘This is Thailand’.
After several years, I moved to Phnom Penn, Cambodia. When I arrived it was still very much a developing country in recovery mode from the terrible years of the Khmer Rouge and the Killing Fields lead by Pol Pot. Although the teaching was relaxed and random, the students were so eager to learn, and anxious to improve themselves. I have great hopes for the future when the current young people grow to be leaders of their country.
A Lasting Legacy
Having been a lecturer at YSJ and having had international students in my class, I have been gladdened to observe their educational development. Travelling extensively in Asia, I witnessed first-hand the educational set up and priorities of these countries, where women’s education isn’t prioritised. As education is so important to the individual and to the societies from where they come, I have decided to bequeath monies to YSJ to help women from Asia to access education at York St John, and I would encourage others to make this your charity of choice. You can get great personal satisfaction from helping young international students achieve their educational ambitions.
The moral of this story is that exciting things happened to young men who visit Paris.
