affected my Life by MARTIN RICHARDS All text © Martin Richards, Malmö, Sweden, 2020
Having been a teacher for many years, I was reflecting on the teachers who had influenced the way that I teach. I wanted to give thanks to those who had shown me their ‘best practices’ in the 1960’s and 1970’s. As I explored the ‘good’ stories, I uncovered the ‘bad’ ones. I began to realise that some of the limitations in my adult life had their origins in the way I had been taught at school. Other limitations to the life I have led came from influences from my parents. Some influences were well-meaning and fruitless, and corrected later in life, other influences well-meaning and leading to pivotal moments, to be regretted later. • I don’t sing. I can, and do in secret when I am alone, but never in public. • I don’t do sports. I could. I have the body for it. But not the drive. In fact, I find it challenging to exercise at all, beyond going for long walks. • I don’t speak French, but I do speak Swedish. I never worked as a carpenter, yet I do most of All text © Martin Richards, Malmö, Sweden, 2020
had their sources in my childhood home. I wrote. Almost with my eyes closed. And saw. As much as my parents tried to urge me in certain directions, I steadfastly made the opposite choices. As strongly as some teachers had brightened my life and steered it in positive directions, there were other teachers who had darkened my life and closed off avenues to good health and enjoyment. The brighter I shone the light in some areas of my life, the more clear became the darkness of others. I wrote on. All text © Martin Richards, Malmö, Sweden, 2020
Martin Richards has taught Mathematics to teenagers and English to adults for thirty years. He is now a Certified Life Coach and has recently completed an assignment from the Swedish Education Authority where he coached Primary and Secondary teachers and headteachers. Martin’s Life Mission is to develop the potential of the Education System to its fullest. Martin Richards short works, written in Malmö, in 2020, include: ● ● ● ● ● Listening from the Heart in Education Five Ways to Kill a Teacher Ten Tips from the Retired Entrepreneur Five Tips from a Retired Educator Short Stories (illustrating coaching education) All text © Martin Richards, Malmö, Sweden, 2020 in
When I was eleven years old, there was a test in the UK, called the “Eleven Plus” which determined whether you would be sent to a Grammar School, a Technical School or a Secondary Modern School. The Grammar School taught Languages, Arts and Home Economics and was intended for girls. The Technical School taught the Sciences, Woodwork and Metalwork and was intended for boys. The Secondary Modern School everything, to boys and girls. taught That was the way it was. Since I loved Art and was not good at Maths in Primary School, it was a surprise that I was sent to the Technical School. It just happened. And these stories tell something of what happened there. All text © Martin Richards, Malmö, Sweden, 2020
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