Current teaching position

Teacher of English in an East Midlands secondary school

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Previous teaching experience

Thirteen years in London as Teacher of English, Media and Drama and Head of Years 8-11

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1. Best thing about teaching?
   Those ‘lightbulb moments’. The best ones are to do with real world or real life scenarios - learning moments that you know will be remembered long after lessons and exams.
    

2. Best city you've ever visited/lived in?
   Lived: London. Visited: Prague or Dubrovnik.
    

3. A song you listen to when happy/sad?
   I have an entire playlist called ‘Wallow’ for leaning into sad feelings, but ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)’ by Whitney Houston and ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ by ELO never fail to cheer me up. Happy times require The Strokes.
    

4. Biggest education inspiration?
   My own teachers who truly loved their subjects, weren’t deterred by my impossible attitude and spoke to us with honesty and respect.
    

5. Describe your TTR shows in one word:
   Late!
    

6. Favourite TTR guest (on one of your shows):
   Not a planned guest, but the callers who surprise us by ringing in, dropping bombs of insight and then disappearing into the night.
    

7. Favourite TTR episode (of yours) so far and why? ‘Neurodivergent Educators’ on 15/01/24. Lots of honest experiences and useful advice for a group that’s too often ignored or pushed out of schools.
    

8. Your teaching philosophy?
   The people in front of you are human beings first and students second.
    

9. Best bit of advice you ever got?
   Take your lunch break. Chat in the staff room, sit alone in a quiet space, get offsite for a few minutes--whatever you need. Just take your lunch break.
    

10. Dream guest on your TTR show?
    My high school History teacher, Mr Murray, and my high school French teacher, Ms Poveromo. This would require internet connection in the afterlife, but they both deserve to hear how many people’s lives they changed and how loved they still are.