Why are you suited to teach your subjects or age group?
I am inspired to apply for targeted literacy courses for a plethora of reasons. The biggest reason is that I really want to be a qualified and successful educator. I understand through this course and my employer that I could be in the right place that this leap is made.
The personal qualities that would make me a good teacher are as follows. Throughout the years, I have developed excellent communication and interpersonal skills. I have honed and proven I have a range of planning, organisation, and time-management skills. Many colleagues, parents, and friends have noted that I have the ability to enthuse and motivate pupils. I utilise my imagination, creativity and a sense of humour to engage and inform. I use listening skills and the ability to reflect on my own teaching practice to evaluate and refresh my methods periodically. I am confident in my ability to teach and inspire.
I have a decade of experience ranging from English and cultural consultation, across a broad age range of students (early years, primary and secondary) to delivering International Baccalaureate, and also football and sports coaching on a voluntary basis whilst in China. Since returning to the UK in late 2022, I have sought and obtained a role that allows me to work in UK education.
My understanding of the demands and rewards of teaching are that to be a successful school teacher, you must have a passion to inspire young minds alongside a commitment to ensure that every child achieves their potential. A teacher must open doors to progression and empower students to reach their potential and opportunity. I understand that teaching involves far more than the curriculum. Educators must assess (to set standards), record pupils’ development, ensure that pupils are safe and that all child protection and safeguarding measures are followed, as well as provide feedback to parents and carers on a pupil’s progress. Like the diversity of school life, I must encourage and maintain inclusion and education as a place for all. The reward of progression and opportunity to develop motivates me to thrive towards education and harmony.
There are fixed and flexible opportunities that I could contribute to a school outside of the classroom through clubs, extra-curricular activities, whilst sourcing resources and supporting the school community or colleagues in the delivery of other specialist area. Should opportunity arise then I would like to organise and take part in school events, outings and activities.
My thoughts on children’s well-being are that the world is complicated. The tapestry of challenges and opportunities needs unthreading to allow students the opportunity to access and understand. Mindfulness and curiosity should be protected to allow the UK education system to blossom. Globally, many nations and education systems look to the UK for guidance, experience, and innovation. I desire to be part of this system by assessing, delivering, tracking, and measuring my own success and setting an example to others by using this methodlogy to deliver education at a high quality.
career
An interview with my Mum: I
As part of our language and literature class at Tungwah Wenzel International School, students have been assigned a piece of holiday homework. Students are investigating and exploring the question: What makes a life worth writing about?
The task is to interview someone who is accessible. The students have prepared for their interview in advance, and did so by brainstorming possible question ideas. Their mind map was created on software called Padlet, owing to the fact that 15 days of online teaching has made gathering face-to-face near impossible. The students must select a good subject (person) to interview. In this case, I suggested my Mum. As such, I volunteered to do the task myself. Great questions have potential to make good biographies, so many open-ended questions will be needed. On top of the answers, we’ll need to probe further to squeeze out the information. This first-hand information will help us all to understand the purpose of biography and bring a real-world taste to the subject content. Students have also explored biographies to generate their own questions.
This isn’t the interview. These are the possible questions. I won’t be asking about how many children my Mum has, how many siblings, or any other question to which I already know the answer. That’d be a waste of time. I can write about that in my own introduction.
early life
origin story
- When and where were you born?
- Do you recall any stories about your birth?
- What is your earliest memory?
- Do you remember your first pet(s)?
- Who was your inspiration in your childhood?
- Did you have any nicknames?
- What were you afraid of as a child?
- Who were your first close friends?
- What games did you like to play?
- How did you spend your summer holidays?
- Do you recall your grandparents?
- Is there anything you’d like to share about your childhood?
- How did your parents influence you?
- What does the word family mean to you?
- Do you wish you had been raised differently? If so, how so?
education
development
- What were your favourite subjects and sports?
- Which teachers do you remember? Was there one teacher that was influential to you?
- How would you describe yourself as a student?
- What did you like most and least about school?
- Were you very sociable?
- Did you do extracurricular activities?
- What were your hobbies?
- Who were your idols?
- What music did you listen to throughout your teenage years? Which singers and bands did you like?
- Is there anything you’d like to share about your teenage years?
- Did you attend college and/or university? What memorable moments did you have?
- What subjects did you study?
- Did you get a degree? What was your degree in?
jobs & life
adult life
- What was your first job? How was it? What did you have to do?
- What were your best and worst jobs?
- Did anyone you work with inspire or influence you?
- Aside from being paid, how did any of your careers create value to your life?
- What would be your ideal job now?
- What was/is your goal as a parent?
- How do you describe yourself as a parent?
- How do you think your children will describe you as a parent?
- How did the death of your parents affect you and your family?
- What was the most special way Paul has shown you that he loves you? What do you think he would say, if we asked him the same question?
- If you could do it again, would you take a different path, or are you satisfied with the route you followed?
experience
events
- Where were you and how did the fall of the Berlin Wall affect you?
- Where were you and how did the attacks of September 11th 2001, U.S.A. affect you?
- How did the genocide of Rwanda affect you?
- How did the break-up of Yugoslavia and the NATO bombings affect you?
- What significant political event do you recall?
- Is there a political figure that you admire?
- What are your views on conflict and war?
- Have you ever fought for a political cause?
- How would you change the political and social atmosphere of the U.K.?
- If you could meet any historical figure, of the past or present, who would it be and why?
views
outlook
- What are your greatest hopes and fears?
- What’s the funniest thing that has ever happened to you?
- What main lessons did you learn from life (so far)?
- What are your thoughts on religion?
- What do you believe happens after death?
- What was your most embarrassing moment?
- How do you think people will remember you?
- What do you believe is a definition of the word happiness?
- What are your most memorable travel experiences?
- What are your happiest memories?
other
probing
- What accomplishment are you most proud of?
- What do you like to do in your spare time?
- What music do you like now?
- What theatre shows do you like to attend?
- How would you describe your hobbies and pastimes?
- If you could possess one super-human power, what would it be?
- Which historical era or region would you have liked to have liven in?
- If you could meet any entertainment or literature figure, of the past or present, who would it be and why?
So, that’s a selection of questions. What now? Oh, to conduct the interview… it’s 1:19pm in China now, so that’s 06:19am in Manchester. Wake up call?
Fuck You COVID-19!
Bad morning. Bad evening. Bad day.
Actually, I want to greet you all positively and wish peace and love. It just doesn’t seem suitable. The title of the writing seems like bad language, but it reflects my mood for an approaching date. My Mum always said that words like fuck, bastard and arse, amongst the plethora of curses are just ways of expression. I agree. When we say that piss and twat are bad words, we empower their misuse. Some words like cunt are extremely terrible. I try my best to avoid usage of all these fecking shite words but some days they are just so appropriate.
I am writing this on September the 4th. It’s fast dawned on me that September the 12th is on the horizon. I want to vomit out the words that are rattling around my head now.
September the 12th hasn’t always represented a bad day in September, and for many there have been far worse. For me personally, it isn’t the absolute disaster of a day. Far from it. I’m sure it’ll be a pleasant and wonderful day indeed. It just marks an unwanted anniversary. It represents exactly two years since I left Mancunian soil for China (via Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region etc). The day after the Vincent Kompany testimonial, Uncle Ed delivered me to a flight, alongside my friend Maria and a shedload of luggage. Who’d have thought that the world would go tits up?!
The summers of 2015 to 2019 have all been enjoyed in Great Britain. In fact 2014, marked the longest I’ve gone without summer at home. It being shortly after the February of moving to China. 2020 and 2021 have not given chance to see family or friends back on British soil. Nor has there been a chance to meet half way or for overseas visitors to call by.
I understand that for many, it is the same. For a many people, losses and tragedies have been their visitors over this pandemic of annoyance and continued uncertainty. It’s the uncertainty that this winter or next summer, mobility to see family and my best friend may or not be possible. I’m optimistic but these days it is better to be realistic as more sensible. Right?
Concluding the writing should not involve a message of peace and love. I’ll always wish you all, friend or for, family, flamingo doing flamenco or fungi, peace and love. Today’s scribbling will partake in a list of fuck you messages. It’s only appropriate.
Fuck you to COVID-19. With all due respect to viruses and diseases globally, you’ve really got on many people’s nerves. Enough is enough.
Fuck you to the origins of COVID-19. Tut. Tut.
Fuck you to the conspiring conspiracies. Don’t believe the truth?
Fuck you to the bullies of Wuhan. It’s a city. It has people. People have feelings. Spread love, not hate.
Fuck you Donald Trump. Profits high? Definitely.
Fuck you to those who divide. See above.
Fuck you to those who profited at the detriment of others during this hugely annoying era. There’s a huge increase in billionaires and millionaires, and wealth shares.
Fuck you Man Utd. Always appropriate.
Fuck you to all nations who have politicised this pandemic. You know who you are.
Fuck you those who failed to act and swept away those who wished to speak. Also applicable to the Afghanistan situation. And Rwanda. And countless other events, mostly involving Team America: World Police.
Fuck you to the silencers of the voices. Opinions may be like arseholes, in that everyone has one, but words are powerful and beautiful things. As Mel Gibson said, in Braveheart, “FREEDOM!” before he got in trouble. Terms and conditions apply.
Fuck you Boris Johnson, the budget Donald Trump. Sniveling little inhumane turd of a shriveled up scrotum of a man.
Fuck you to the dismantling parties of the NHS (a bonafide British treasure). See above.
Fuck you to the sneaky laws and regulations that exploited the pandemic conditions. UK included. The RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) could be fined for saving the lives of migrants? Those laws as are fitting for the 1930’s Nazi Party.
Fuck you to anyone who doesn’t believe this pandemic is real and that COVID-19 is a lie. Wake up! Tackle it. Don’t deny it.
Of course, using the phrase fuck you is negative and wrong. I rescind all of the above. Stay positive.
Until the next time, when I see family and friends, peace and love!
John
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