It's often been said, with some validity, that we teach what we
need to know. So, too, we write what we want to read: in this case,
the book that I wish someone had written for me when I was a young
teacher just starting out. I began teaching in a British-style
boys' boarding school: all boys, all boarding-a trial by fire if
ever there was one. I was fresh out of university, with a good MA
but virtually no teaching experience and only the dimmest idea of
why I was joining the profession. I had been told by someone I
trusted that I had a natural talent for teaching, felt faint
stirrings of vocation, and wanted to give something back after a
long and self-indulgent education. Beyond that, I had no idea of
what I was getting into or why. It was a strange Darwinian world of
bad food, cold showers, harsh discipline, and cross-country runs,
with other vestiges of British public school tradition, including
bread pudding, corporal punishment, and daily chapel.
Paradoxically, despite the strict discipline and institutional
formality-the masters were universally referred to as Sir, and the
boys addressed by surname-a great fondness grew between staff and
students. We were, at the very least, honorable enemies reminiscent
of Tom Brown's School Days-at best, a boisterous family marooned
together, more like Swiss Family Robinson. Something hilarious
happened every day. The boys were irrepressible, despite our best
efforts, and the charged, insular atmosphere of the school somehow
produced the most extravagantly colorful personalities. I was
always amazed at how the boys bounced back after a frozen route
march or an exhausting exam week; it was the masters who showed the
strain. Partly, we lacked the resiliency of youth. We were older in
our bones, and our sinews had lost their elasticity. Partly, we
followed an unrelenting schedule since, in addition to our teaching
duties (including a half day on Saturday), we were required to
patrol the dorms, supervise study hall, and lead all-weather
outdoor adventures. Sixty-hour workweeks were standard, rising to
eighty hours during peak periods. But we also suffered the natural
consequences of an immutable law and a professional handicap, which
I will explain.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(1)
(3)
(3)
