Question Author
I think I knew from about the age of seven that I would be a teacher. I did flirt for a while with the idea of becoming a librarian, and spent my school and university holidays working in the local library. However, it was not to be (it wasn’t really ‘me’) and so began a very happy period of about 35 years until arthritis brought it to a premature close. I taught secondary-age pupils, in both mixed comprehensive and single-sex grammar schools. I’m not going to be drawn into the politics of these contrasting systems here, though you may throw metaphorical rotten tomatoes at me if you wish! I have even taught adults in evening classes.
For the last 25 years (I continued with this activity after I’d ‘retired’ from teaching) I was an examiner, beginning as a marker and eventually setting papers. I started with AS-level (when the ‘S’ meant ‘Supplementary’) then A-level and finally AS again (this time ‘S’ standing for ‘Subsidiary’). I dare not say more on that subject; even though I’m no longer examining, since I suspect certain clauses concerning confidentiality as part of my contract still apply. I have no wish to be carted off to the Tower for revealing ‘state secrets’!