Many thanks to Mrs Beaman, the Teaching Assistant in 2RP, for her Staff Snapshot Interview.
What inspired you to be a teacher?
The film, 'It's a Wonderful Life' and the realisation that budgets, profit margins and sales targets were never going to provide the job satisfaction I craved, so I changed direction and completed my PGCE in 2007.
What do you love most about teaching?
Seeing the expression of pride on a child's face. Whether that's related to a eureka moment in their learning, to the amount of effort they've put into a piece of learning or because they've been recognised for being kind to someone. For me, there's no better feeling.
What were you like at school?
I was extremely conscientious and well-behaved, of course!
When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was 8, I wanted to be a hairdresser, at 10 an air hostess and at 15 a novelist.
What’s the funniest moment you’ve had in a classroom?
It was at the end of the day and the Year 1 children were getting ready to go home. One child caught my eye. He was taking rather a long time and looked rather bulky. I watched as he struggled to put on another jacket. Eventually, he came over to me, his arms sticking out at 90 degrees. I remarked that he was wearing rather a lot. "Miss Griffiths, I wanted to find out which of my coats you liked the best?" I am still puzzled as to how he got all those coats passed his Mum that morning. I chose the brown corduroy suit jacket with mickey mouse stitched onto the breast pocket.
What’s the most important lesson you can teach?
That it's okay to make mistakes. They are an integral part of the learning process. If children can internalise this from a young age, it frees them up to learn at a faster rate and makes the process less stressful and more enjoyable and sets them up to be life-long learners.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
When my Year 4 class at a previous school performed 'Giraffes Can't Dance'. At the end of the performance a younger boy who was from The Dominican Republic with limited English, said my name in his thick Spanish accent, smiled then pointed to the tears running down his cheeks. We had pulled it off!
What are you most excited about at Marlborough House this year?
Enjoying the spring sunshine with the children at break time.
What makes Marlborough House such a special place to be?
Its size engenders a sense of belonging no matter where you are in the school. And that's a really nice feeling.
Quick-fire questions:
School House: Dunbar
Years at MHS: Autumn Term 2022 was my first at MHS
Unusual fact: In a former career I wrote the traffic bulletins for the DJs at Magic FM and KISS FM.
Highlight of my day: 1:1 reading with the children. As a teacher coming from the state sector, this is truly a luxury!
The book I am reading: 'Bully-Proof Kids' by Stella O'Malley