from KM

What do you remember about your very first day in the classroom?

My first proper teaching job, with a proper contract was in Esher College. I’ve written fairly recently about my interview there, and how surprised I was to get the job.

But that hurdle over, my Head of Department, Helena Fotherby, then spent much of the summer taking me under her wing, making sure I was actually confident enough to start teaching in this relatively new sixth form college. It had been a boys’ school, but in 1978 it had already had two years’ worth of girls in the sixth form, and the last cohort of fifth form boys. I was going to be teaching all years, just O level and A level English, and I needed to know which books I was going to be teaching. I also needed to read them in advance, which was going to be a bit of a problem for me. I love reading. but only what I like and when I like. The minute someone says I have to read something, by a certain time, then I’m done for. My inner rebel becomes very assertive, not to say aggressive, and I just don’t have the time. Luckily I am quite quick witted and usually, throughout my teaching career, managed to stay one page ahead. – but I’m running ahead of myself.

Here I am, summer of 1978, with a booklist which I am attempting to assimilate. Luckily I had read most of them before, and the others were quite accessible – just! Helena had invited me several times to her house over the holidays, in order to help me plan and also to look at my classroom. She did suggest that I paint it myself – I must have looked very blankly at her, because towards the end of the holidays she took me again, and she and her sons had redecorated it themselves! Amazing. Probably wouldn’t be allowed now for health and safety reasons, but she was keen that the whole department would look nice and welcoming for the students! I bought some plants, consulted my timetable, which was perfect for a newcomer like me. Ther were three 100 minute lessons every day: two in the morning and one in the afternoon.

That first year I had Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons free. Perfect. Time to prepare and mark and whatever. Whatever in this case meant getting married, one Monday afternoon. I took the afternoon off, without telling anyone. I had no idea I was supposed to stay on the premises. but that’s another story, already written!

Anyway, Monday morning 4th September 1978 saw me entering the classroom to meet a group of first year A Level students. 100 minutes ahead of me. I was almost 25, and looking younger thanmost of them. There were about 20 of them looking expectantly at me. I was terrified. Everything I had inwardly prepared whooshed out of the window, leaving me sweating and almost in tears. I think I must have rallied quite quickly and remembered that I was now a qualified English teacher, and here I was with a lovely group of new people to get to know. My mantra at university had been five new people a day and here the possiblities were quadrupled.

So I, gave out the paper – each student was entitled to one small A4 pad and a biro and began trying to get to know their names. I must have introduced myself as Miss Wysoki, but I soon discovered that they could and would call me by my first name. Did I actually teach anything that day? I doubt it. I imagine we talked about the syllabus and their interests, but I honestly don’t remember too much. I probably got them to write something about themeselves.

As time went by, and I got to know them better, some of them really began to stand out in my mind. Especially some of the boys who soon discovered that I liked to laugh and I liked jokes, but I didn’t get many of them. I got married a month or so later, and I would often come home with a new joke – which I didn’t understand. Jacek would go to work, tell his colleagues the joke, they would explain it to him, he would come home and explain it to me, I would blush, go back to school and tell the boys off for being very vulgar. To no avail. They regaled me with more. I’d go home and the whole cycle would repeat it self. Several times. That first term was a rich learning experience, for me anyway.

Eventually I read the set texts and set about discussing them with my students. They mostly did well in their exams, so I must have done something right.

As a first experience of teaching it was a great school to be in. The staff were friendly and Helena in particular was a brilliant mentor. She would take me for walks at lunchtime so we could discuss any issues I had away from the curious eyes of the rest of the staff, something which I really appreciated. Above all, she really trusted me and my judgement, and though we had very different teaching styles, as I discovered, she did not force me to do anything her way. I really admired the way she wrote model essays and gave real examples of the type of work she wanted to see. I was more of a wheedler, cajoling and exhorting, getting the students to look for themselves. I was lucky that I enjoyed marking. I had over 100 full length essays to mark a week – that was the only condition, and it was hard to keep up, but the rewards were great.

Especially ?My fondness for Ted Hughes and Philip Larkin emanate from that time.

If anyone reads this who remembers me from 1978 -1981, please get in touch.