Get to know the department a little bit better… have a look at the English staff questionnaires answers…
Chris Young
1. What is your favourite subject in English?
Media – film, adverts, TV programmes etc.; and poetry (can’t separate them)
2. How long have you been teaching at North Berwick?
18 months
3. Have you had any previous jobs, and if so what were they?
Worked in Matalan in Glasgow for 8 long years, putting myself through Uni.
4. Do you prefer Rugby or Football?
Football
5. When you were younger, did you enjoy English at school?
Yes
6. What was your ambition as a child?
To be an actor
7. If you had an ambition, what was it?
Er, to be an actor…
8. Who was your idol when you were at school and are they still your idol now?
My idol was Henrik Larsson, and he always will be (sad, I know)
9. Is there one subject in school that you really disliked?
Maths
10. Is the way that you teach English now different from the way that you were taught, and if so, how?
A lot different, no such thing as a interactive whiteboard.
Heather Flemming
1. What is your favourite subject in English?
Poetry
2. How long have you been teaching at North Berwick?
Since 1984 part time, but I’ve been full time since 1997
3. Have you had any previous jobs, and if so what were they?
Lots: auxilliary in a hospital, temporary bank worker, show assistant, teacher in two other schools
4. Do you prefer Rugby or Football?
Don’t like either of these much, but if ~I had to choose, then football
5. When you were younger, did you enjoy English at school?
Yes
6. What was your ambition as a child?
Lawyer, air hostess, interpreter, and when I was 6, I wanted to be a cowboy!
7. If you had an ambition, what was it?
River canoeing
8. Who was your idol when you were at school and are they still your idol now?
Richard Chamberlain (Dr. Kildare), Bryan Jerry – but ~i have grown out of them
9. Is there one subject in school that you really disliked?
I liked all of them, (didn’t like some of the teachers though!)
10. Is the way that you teach English now different from the way that you were taught, and if so, how?
There wasn’t as much help as there is today, and pupils had to work harder than they do today. Pupils needed to be completely self motivated and this is the biggest difference.
Mary Coppola
- 1. What is your favourite aspect of teaching English?
Teaching S3 of course. Seriously, I wish we had more than three periods per week with S3 as there are so many good things to do at this stage.
2. How long have you been teaching at North Berwick?
A long time, many years.
3. Have you had any previous jobs, and if so what were they?
Yes, several, including various holiday jobs, (Lothian Regional Council and SQA)
4. Do you prefer Rugby or Football?
Dislike both.
5. When you were younger, did you enjoy English at school?
Yes
6. What was your ambition as a child?
To do well at school if I worked hard.
7. If you had an ambition, what was it?
To go to Uni to get a Degree and a good job.
8. Who was your idol when you were at school and are they still your idol now?
Can’t remember. I don’t have any idols at present.
9. Is there one subject in school that you really disliked?
Maths.
10. Is the way that you teach English now different from the way that you were taught, and if so, how?
Yes, teachers do a lot more for pupils now.
Susan Conway
- 1. What is your favourite subject in English?
- Literature – especially novels!
- 2. How long have you been teaching at North Berwick?
- 6 years
- 3. Have you had any previous jobs, and if so what were they?Teacher at other schools, worked in bookshop, pub, hotel and post office, and sold bacon door to door (baking may have been more profitable in retrospect)
- 4. Do you prefer Rugby or Football?
- Rugby
- 5. When you were younger, did you enjoy English at school?
Yes, but we didn’t do anything interesting until S4
6. What was your ambition as a child?
To be an electrician and go to work with my Dad
7. If you had an ambition, what was it?
As above
8. Who was your idol when you were at school and are they still your idol now?
Eric Liddell – a Scottish Olympic champion
I also like ‘Chariots of Fire’ because it was filmed near my house!
9. Is there one subject in school that you really disliked?
Sewing
10. Is the way that you teach English now different from the way that you were taught, and if so, how?
Pupils now have much more interesting lessons, and they get more help. However, pupils don’t have to think for themselves as much now.
Martin Fell
- What is your favourite subject in English?
- How long have you been teaching at North Berwick?
- Have you had any previous jobs, and if so what were they?
- Do you prefer Rugby or Football?
- When you were younger, did you enjoy English at school?
- What was your ambition as a child?
- If you had an ambition, what was it?
- Who was your idol when you were at school and are they still your idol now?
- Is there one subject in school that you really disliked?
- Is the way that you teach English now different from the way that you were taught, and if so, how?
Seonaid Hudson
- What is your favourite subject in English?
- How long have you been teaching at North Berwick?
- Have you had any previous jobs, and if so what were they?
- Do you prefer Rugby or Football?
- When you were younger, did you enjoy English at school?
- What was your ambition as a child?
- If you had an ambition, what was it?
- Who was your idol when you were at school and are they still your idol now?
- Is there one subject in school that you really disliked?
- Is the way that you teach English now different from the way that you were taught, and if so, how?
Jim Maxwell
- What is your favourite subject in English?
Literature of any sort. I like the bit where you begin to understand what the writer’s main point might be.
2. How long have you been teaching at North Berwick?
I have been here for three years come August 2010.
3. Have you had any previous jobs, and if so what were they?
I have had lots of previous jobs – Mechanical Engineer for 5 years, Civil Servant for 2 years being the main ones. I have also worked as a tourist assistant in Iona Cathedral and I had an unfortunate 5 day stint in a battery hen facility. My previous teaching experience was gained in Knox Academy and Oban High School.
4. Do you prefer Rugby or Football?
I definitely prefer football although I played both at school. Early on I realised that the relative skill level was much greater in football. I’m also not very big – in terms of height – and so was at a disadvantage for rugby which seems to favour the big lads.
5. When you were younger, did you enjoy English at school?
I really enjoyed English and always found it very easy.
6. What was your ambition as a child?
I wanted to be a coal man. They looked really tough and impressive when they delivered our coal and they used a big lorry which had a really cool mechanism on the back of it for pouring coal into sacks as the coal men balanced them on their backs.
7. If you had an ambition, what was it?
I wanted to pass my Thermodynamics and Engineering Principles exams but alas it was not to be.
8. Who was your idol when you were at school and are they still your idol now?
Initially, Jeff Lynne of ELO. I thought he wrote really good songs. Then I had a lot of respect for Pete Townsend of the Who and for Jon Anderson of Yes.
9. Is there one subject in school that you really disliked?
I really disliked Physics. We just sat at the back and got ignored because we weren’t very good at it.
10. Is the way that you teach English now different from the way that you were taught, and if so, how?
The way that English is taught now is quite different. There is much more direction and guidance available to students and I also think that teachers are much better at explaining what is really important to students. Having said that, the kinds of skills which students are expected to demonstrate at the conclusion of an English course are pretty much the same.