Katie
- Did any teachers inspire you at school to get into the creative
industry?
I had a very negative experience of Art and Design at secondary
school. My teacher had her favourites and gave very little support to any
others in the class, myself included. For many years I felt I wasn’t very good
at Art.
- How important do you think art is for children
when growing up?
I think the creative
arts are essential as part of a holistic approach to learning. I feel children
must be given opportunities to develop creative skills as it helps them to
think of different ways of approaching problems. It has been said that we
should be nurturing children’s creative skills as the future work place may
require more creative thinkers to take the jobs computers and robots are unable
to do.
- Do you think it is important to keep art in the school curriculum,
if so, why?
Yes, art can have a
cross curricular subject and sometimes allows non-academic children to shine in
an area with no right or wrong answers.
- When did you realise you wanted to teach rather than go into the
creative industry?
I enjoyed working
with children, which I did after doing a teaching assistant course. I did not
feel I had enough skill or talent for work in the creative industry.
- Why did you choose to teach rather than going into the creative industry?
as above
- What was your university experience like?
I did and Open
university degree- enjoyed working at my own pace and the variety I could
study. Did my teaching cert on the job which was very practical which suited my
previous experience working in schools.
- What route did you take into becoming a teacher?
GTP
- What would be your best advice to someone interested in becoming a
primary teacher?
I would suggest
doing lots of volunteering to make sure it is what they want to do. It is very
hard work but rewarding. It is particularly hard being a creative style teacher
in the current education system heavy on tests and assessments pushing children
beyond what they once did. Hopefully this will change!
- How important is it to show children the jobs that are available
in the creative industry?
Very! They are the
future!
- What are the best and worst things about your job?
best is the children and colleagues, making a difference
worst is the work load and filling in paper that no one reads just
to jump through a hoop.
- How do you feel about having such a big impact on children’s
lives?
A very positive or
a very negative experience can make a real difference. School can give children
a nurturing and stable place in their lives.
- What do you see for the future of art within the school
curriculum?
It would be nice
if it was brought into other lessons.
- What is your best memory of teaching?
Too many to write
down
- What got you interested in teaching?
Got frustrated
being a TA for rubbish teachers.
- What is your opinion on the government’s role within schools and
the curriculum?
It is currently
too much they should give teachers more autonomy regarding where children are
at.
- Do you think sciences, English and maths are more important than
creative subjects?
That is what society thinks but I feel it will change in the
future.
- If you weren’t a teacher, what other job do you think you would be
doing?
Writing and illustrating
books
- Do you do any creative work alongside/as well as your job now?
I co write and
illustrate children’s outdoor activity books. Currently writing book three.
Love using my creative skills in this way.
- What other creative people inspire you?
Anyone who manages
to make a living through their creative talents.
- What do you see for the future for yourself and your job?
Possibly working
on my books full time, but still being involved in education. Possibly through
working with different schools.
Sonia
- Did any teachers inspire you at school to get into the creative
industry?
Teachers at school encouraged me to gain further education with my
creative skills and to focus on design more as they felt it was my personal
strength. Don’t recall any teachers specifically saying a creative industry to
do.
- How important do you think art is for children
when growing up?
I think it is
essential as it enables them to be individual with own ideas, they can express
themselves, it is fun, develops gross and fine motor skills, it is colourful,
no right or wrong answers, they can develop trial and error and can be in
control with own personal journey of outcome.
- Do you think it is important to keep art in the school curriculum,
if so, why?
YES for reasons
shared in above question but also not all children are academic and this is a
strength for future skills they need to develop for a career. Also it develops
a different area of the brain and relaxing from the demands of academic work.
- When did you realise you wanted to teach rather than go into the
creative industry?
One of my A level
projects was working with nursery children to create art work that I used as
designs for children’s clothing. I loved it.
The creative industry is very competitive and sometimes difficult
to find a career in as you need to be the best or have the right contacts so I
decided the sensible thing to do would be to complete a teaching degree with
art and design combined so I had both to use in the future if the opportunity
arose.
- Why did you choose to teach rather than going into the creative
industry?
Teaching
opportunity happened first.
- What was your university experience like?
Unsettled at first and a mix of positive/challenging experiences.
If I ever felt stressed I loved going into the design studio to do some
creative work.
- What route did you take into becoming a teacher?
BA with Qualified Teacher Status in Primary Education and Art and
Design
- What would be your best advice to someone interested in becoming a
primary teacher?
Get as much practical experience as you can in a variety of
settings.
- How important is it to show children the jobs that are available
in the creative industry?
Very important as this may be a future career for them.
- What are the best and worst things about your job?
Best things -Practical teaching and seeing the children excited
about learning/ achieving new things.
Worst things – Paperwork and politics
- How do you feel about having such a big impact on children’s
lives?
I remember OFSTED saying that children only have this opportunity
to learn once in their life and it is important that we get it right from the
start because it will have a big impact on their future!!!
I have never forgotten this
- What do you see for the future of art within the school
curriculum?
Sadly I have seen a big decline since I have started teaching in
the time we have to fit art into the curriculum. The demands of academic
subjects take priority. I think that there is always a place for art for all
children and I hope this will change.
- What is your best memory of teaching? Daily achievements
young children make and seeing them happy and excited to learn
- What got you interested in teaching? Voluntary work
experience
- What is your opinion on the government’s role within schools and
the curriculum?
Constantly changing sometimes for the better but at times for the
worst
- Do you think sciences, English and maths are more important than
creative subjects?
I was not academic at school so creative subjects were more
important to me otherwise I would never feel like I was achieving anything.
- If you weren’t a teacher, what other job do you think you would be
doing?
I remember the first job I ever wanted to do was an animator. I
love printmaking and enjoy creating patterns for fabrics.
- Do you do any creative work alongside/as well as your job now?
Any creative work is to do with the children .Not had time to do
my own personal artwork since university but recently I have been looking into
any opportunities to go on courses etc
- What other creative people inspire you?
William Morris
Georgia o’ Keeffe
Emma Hardicker
- What do you see for the future for yourself and your job?
Good question. To be honest I
am not sure as I tend to live for the present
