Moving On...

I first entered this building on 4th September, 1978 in my mini skirt, fresh from teacher training college and brimming with energy, modern ideas and trepidation. I was going to enthuse young people with a love of literature so they would go up into the world with their minds and lives enriched! Within two minutes of walking into the staff room, one of the PE teachers called across the room, 'Make us a cup of tea love!' and my place at the bottom of the pecking order was confirmed. Later in a Union meeting to discuss possible strike action (it was the Seventies after all) I dared to voice my concern about the damage to children's education and was told, 'What do you know, you've only been in the job two minutes!'

Last week, as we prepared for the new year in our fabulous new building, I watched a presentation by three young teachers who had collaborated on a project to raise the engagement of disaffected young people with Biology, History and English through the use of comic book heroes. It was inspiring stuff and it's good to know that there are still young people willing to bring their own version of energy and modern ideas into education, despite all its difficulties. I would have loved to be a child in their classrooms.

Over the last year I have recorded several blips of the progress of our new building from the opposite direction to this one. Now the old school, pictured here, lies empty awaiting demolition. It reminds me of when you move house and the people and things are removed from the building....it loses its soul. This is how I feel about the place which has been my workplace for 30+ years. Good job I have years' worth of great memories of friends, students and events! And now I promise no more sentimental stuff, time to move on!