“I had a fantastic Physics teacher in secondary school. At the time my home life was difficult. He offered a calm, respectful and self-esteem building environment for me, which made a dark time quite happy and exciting for me, it made me relish going to school to learn more.”
“After leaving university, I knew that nothing would be as fulfilling as offering the same feeling to young people, as I got from my teacher. A safe, caring and nurturing environment to grow and succeed.”
“I love teaching in Moray because you feel part of the community here. You get to know the young people you teach and their families, and that connection makes such a difference in the classroom.”
“It’s a great place to work and living so close to the beach and within half an hour of the mountains brings a sense of real balance and joy to everyday life for me and my family.”
What moment stands out in your career?
“I had a class, in my first year as a qualified teacher, who were known to struggle with the material. They did not believe in themselves or that they could achieve the course.”
“They were in Intermediate 1 and they each wanted to do something that needed some Physics, but just did not have belief it was possible.”
“Together, we worked to create a fun environment, from making a class music playlist and we did a lot of extra hands-on work, as we found that worked best for them.”
“They all passed, then went on to do Intermediate 2, where over 80% passed and then three even went on to take a pass Higher. I was so proud of each and every one of them.”
“Teachers can be the people who connect with a young person when they need it the most.”
“For so many reasons, they may need that one person in their life to listen, to understand, to talk to or who just believes in them.”
“We get to be that person and it can help completely shape their futures.”