Hello All,
Welcome once again to my EducationInfluence.com blog. Today, I just want to tell you about why, I decided to join EducationInfluence.com and why I think it is a wonderful and important venture that I am proud to be part of.
I have taught in schools for nine years (2010-2019) and I loved it. I love my subject, Classics (which you will certainly know if you visit my website, BloggusClassicus, or my other Tumblr blog, ‘Classics is Cool’) and I got a real buzz from working with young people. I had already of this teaching at the University of Oxford, whilst completing my DPhil and watching these young adults grow in confidence and enthusiasm is just amazing. I also love doing critical sessions. You don’t have to follow a syllabus, just a question or problem that hopefully makes pupils see something in a different light. A favourite of mine was always, 'rank the human senses in the order in which they contribute to our memory’. Touch was nearly always at the bottom, sight at the top. I would get them to redo their rankings at the end of the session. Sight usually remained at the top, but touch had always moved up. Especially, exciting was considering the interaction and interconnection between the senses.
I taught some wonderful pupils and for the most part, those were a great nine years. So, why did I leave?
I was missing my research and writing, so eventually, I decided to take the leap and see where it took me.
One thing I had always thought throughout those nine years, was how wonderful it would be if I could bring Classics and educational opportunities to a wider audience, and spread my love of fostering thinking skills and helping young minds grow. In my second and third schools, which I was at for five and three years respectively, I was actively engaged in Outreach. Such a great experience and an immensely satisfying part of my job.
I might have left schools, but I don’t believe I have left teaching. I gained a fantastic contact on LinkedIn, who introduced me to a mentoring App that had begun with Maths, but was looking to bring Latin on board as well. What a great way to spread Classics. Even those self-studying could find a guide. I very much hope I can become more involved with this. My new acquaintance then forwarded me a link about an event called 'World Education Empathy Week’, which happened between, 20th-24th September, a week of free online global lessons. Amazing. I very much wanted to be involved, so I signed up with my lesson, '79 AD and all that’, comparing aspects of the Classical world with our own. It was such great fun and I feel so honoured to have been part of it: 350+ teachers from all over the world bringing their expertise to lessons on a global scale and all free! Fantastic.
After I had signed up, I came across EducationInfluence.com. The site offers a chance to become a Global Education Influencer, making your expertise and resources available free on a worldwide platform. I realised that this was Outreach on an amazing and unprecedented scale, so I signed up and I was accepted. It is so exciting, there is so much potential.
It is a chance to achieve my dream of bringing education to a wider audience. I have always been so grateful for my educational chances and I just want so many more children to be able to access education that inspires, excites, and gives them a chance.
Thank you Gavin McCormack and Anusha Shrestha, I am so happy to be part of your vision.
If you love education and would love to be part of spreading it throughout the world, please consider becoming an Influencer.