Reflecting on my life as a teacher as I walked the icy wind-bitten heathland of the Surrey military ranges ... I asked my self what is it that drives me to want to inspire the younger generation. It's not a job I ever dreamed I would do. For the late 1970s-early 80s rebel without a clue teenager I spoke of in my 'this is me' presentation, this life would have been so far away from mine and definitely my teachers and peers thoughts! An utterly impossible thing ... even more so than the fact I became a successful TV and Film director and all that other industry stuff on CV. So what is it? Well ... it's quite simple really. I went to study for my degree at 29/30 years old. I graduated at 32. Being from a poor background wasn't really an 'excuse' for not getting a degree back then. Higher Education was a right not just a privilege, that all classes from all backgrounds could go for because it was free and there were grants. No. I chose to not take A Levels, or aim for a degree as a youngster...plus I became a father very young too. So when I finally did go into study, just at the tail end of the grants system (1994-96) it was to change my life. I needed to. Though I seriously didn't know what it was I wanted to be or really what I wanted to study ... I did Media Production and - and this is the key - I found myself! Yes, it sounds all very new-age, self-help, 'woke' nonsense ... but I did. And what happened to me, the ting I realised then, that I carry forward into my teaching today ... that I have heard myself say to my students many times over ... education freed me. Freed me from the tyranny of my own stupidity and blinkered classism. It freed me to be the intelligent young chap I'd always been but fought against the 'sell out' 'Joey Normal' of. And that freeing ... that way forward that I saw then is what I endeavour to show to my students. And I've done that as a Visiting Practitioner, an Hourly Paid, an AL and now as a Senior Lecture - Year Leader. Education is a privilege, an honourable thing and that is my stance. As it says on my EDUCATOR page on my own website :
"Earning my BA Hons degree at 32 completely changed my life. I am PROOF of the power of education! I'm always happy to give something back ... and I'm moved and honoured to be able to inspire up and coming talent."
Nutshell.
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