Teaching chemistry is my career and my hobby

Jim Baker

entered teaching because he loved to share their knowledge. After 42 years, in spite of how the profession has changed, it is not ready to turn off the Bunsen burner again

My own chemistry professor Swanwick Hall School, my great mentor Tom Cook, advised me to become a teacher. I remember he told me about friends who had gone to the industry that looked more haggard than he -. Something that is not necessarily the case today

specialized studied chemistry at the University of Sheffield and loved it, but after all I am a very sociable person and I do not see myself working in a lab myself. Thus, after the race, I did a one year diploma in education.

remember my school teacher says, and how right he was, "You teach a very interesting".. Of course, he could not foresee all the many changes, but during my career, education has changed dramatically.

began teaching in 1970. I taught for so long that in 2008, a boy told me that his grandfather had taught him. It reminded him too much, I have taught thousands of students, but I'm usually able to remember their names and faces

When I started teaching, all students are taught by a chemistry graduate of chemistry, physics for physics and biology graduate degrees in biology. The problem now is that everyone should do science and not enough specialists to teach. There are people who teach chemistry who do not know much.

In my work as a consultant in education with MS live in the Graduate Teacher program, working with students who have a grade C in science, but they teach chemistry key stage 4. They could have done A-levels in psychology and photography and become secondary school teachers of science. But children do not feel inspired if their teachers are just ahead of them in the knowledge of the subject.

I'm retired from full-time work in August 2008 after teaching in the same school, Lincoln School Christ in the hospital for 38 years. I was at the head of the chemistry and the deputy head of science in charge of the management of behavior when I retired.

People say I should go every two years for progression, I suppose, to get out of the classroom. But I went into teaching because I loved being with people and pass on my knowledge: why I became a teacher of the class, and so I was



You might think that I fed to the same school as a teacher, but I have not done all classes and children are different. I have found that children learn when it's fun and they want to be there, so I became a bit of an artist in the classroom - it is not good to have knowledge of the subject, if you can not explain . For me, teaching is about relationships. If you can build relationships with students, and do not want to be in your class, no matter what you are doing is in vain.

In 1997, I reached the final 13 of Salter Professor of Chemistry of the Year Award. Three years after one of my classes was deemed unsatisfactory by Ofsted. It was probably the worst day of my life. My head could not believe it and asked for another lesson to be observed. Head of the science indicates the high level of the maximum score of my students, but Ofsted inspector gave a satisfactory lesson second. She accused me of making forces with my students, because they are supposed to learn that in primary school. I was so happy that my boss and head of state for me, but it was a horrible day, horrible.

The great thing about being semi-retired now, I can say what I like. After 42 years of teaching, I think the key to being a good teacher must develop strong relationships with the children. I also know that my problem upside down: I almost dare to say this, but I do not think the lessons. I just got back and I know what to teach. Some students tell me they were warned not to smile at Christmas, but I ask them what kind of people you want to be near? People who are fun and have a good time - children are no different. If you walk with a smile, they feel satisfied with their learning. The problem is that there is a lot of pressure on teachers who are now tired when they come to class.

• After I retired, my former chief of science in Christ, himself an apprentice of my NQT year ago, was the head of the house of St. Peter's Catholic High School and St. Paul. He asked me to give him a professor of chemistry and a little help when it was part-time, I started to teach A-level chemistry and one day a week. I only teach part of the course, but our success rate was 38% -75% AS so I still have a year contract.
• teach things I want to do it my way. Work and sorry for the rest of the team can not have this freedom. Often, schools with naughty children so that these children will be absent when Ofsted inspectors coming around the school and say they will do the same thing with me. It's almost funny, but it is actually very serious. Things change so quickly that teachers are so busy they do not have the time to sit down and think about it. But if I were the CEO of a company in which 50% of my employees left during the first three years, I seriously reconsider my policy - but that's what happens with teachers of mathematics and science

quickly realized the enormous value of modern technology and create my site in 1998 in the early days of the Internet. I learned twiducate and now all my years 12 and 13 chemicals they use to get in touch with me and have access to my resources. Your questions and I can not answer.

My students can also send me your questions when you need to know the answers, usually in the evening or on weekends. It takes ten minutes to answer while I relax with a cup of coffee, much better than being chased down the hall in the school day when there is no time to talk.

Chemistry Teaching is my career and my hobby, why should I stop? Statistically teachers working on the front lines tend to have a lower life expectancy after retirement, so I did not dare.


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