This week I had the privilege together with Nick, my husband and on this occasion co-worker, to run a Making of a Champion workshop over 2 lessons in a 6th form college here in Surrey.
Over the last few months we have been running this workshop online, and it’s not until this week when we were back into ‘normal’ face to face interaction (socially distanced from the young adults, but still able to see them and feel their engagement), you realise how much you miss something.
The sessions we did reminded me of why from a young age I always thought teaching would be what I would be doing. But it also made me so aware how lucky I am to be able to teach the teenagers not just about a subject (hats off to all the brilliant teachers out there who puts so much time and effort into giving our kids a great education), but to give them time to explore their passions and what they care for, what they are good at and what they love doing. I look upon this as a true privilege, and hope that whatever the 6th formers in the room this week took from our sessions, it will help them embrace a life of purpose and direction that gives them meaning and enjoyment.
Next time we run this workshop will be online again as that is the best and safest way to reach as many as we can with this important message. And in a funny way I have learnt to love doing the ‘look presentable from waist up’ and ‘put your comment in the chat box’ kind of sessions too. Once you have something you are passionate about teaching, any format to do so is a privilege. But the young adults’ facial expressions, note taking and attentiveness that I saw this week will keep me motivated for a long time!
Silje Howes 