Education way beyond the classroom and whisper it… perhaps more important
Throughout my life in education I have firmly believed that at least 50% of my job as an educator is to enable students to engage with all aspects of the complex thing that being a human being in this frustrating, delightful, frightening, fucked up world full of magic and loss actually entails.
My lessons always relate to the world beyond the steamed up windows and soggy playing fields. I have led trips to far flung places and watched in wonder as cultures have met and embraced their similarities and differences. Similarly I have always encouraged those in my care to expand their influence within their communities through volunteering or fund raising for charitable causes. Once a year we have an all night event specifically for my students to fund raise for Alzheimer’s Research UK or a local cause close to a student’s heart or experience. This took place last week where three teams of 15 rowed throughout the night for 14 hours on rowing machines. A brilliant thing. The most brilliant thing about it was watching as, in the wee small hours, everyone was still awake encouraging and supporting as tiredness robbed the strength and dulled the urge to continue. It was a long hard slog but every single student will remember it for a long time for the sense of camaraderie and common purpose as well as the banter and good humour. Not to mention the massive chilli I cooked to see use through! Oh and the £5K we raised in one night.
Completely knackered after teaching all day and encouraging all night but the 3 hours snatched on the Saturday morning following were deep and somehow righteous!
A royal stew this week with some classic deep cut Waterboys with a glorious live performance video, then some palate cleansing Stiff Little Fingers (it still sounds great) and closing with something beautiful and angular from Loose Fur.
As ever take what you want or need.
I wish you’d been one of my teachers Geoff!!
I meant Keith!! No idea where Geoff came from, apologies.
Perhaps Geoff was the teacher you remember!!
Apologies accepted