Is Teaching Cruel or Kind?
Miss Dobinson is our Acting Head of Sixth Form here at the Ursuline, I interviewed her as I wanted to find out what are the biggest joys of being a teacher but also what qualities makes it one of the hardest and most challenging jobs of all. Miss Dobinson, being an ex-pupil herself was uniquely able to tell me all about the Ursuline and what has changed over the years.
When asked what the best thing about teaching was she replied saying that ‘seeing students fulfil their potential and knowing that you were a part of it is the best feeling’ she went on to describe the feeling of working with a student to plan where they want to go after school and figuring out the best route for them as ‘very satisfying as you know that you are beginning to shape who they are going to become as a person’.
Miss Dobinson believes that what makes the Ursuline so different is the fact that ‘every single student is supported and their individual needs identified. We account for every single student and their needs, whether it be free school meals or extra classes each student is important to us. She also told me that it for a small number of students with additional challenges, the severity of issues seem to increase as students get older so each year equals different challenges’. Due to Ursuline aiming to support every student ,I saw how many challenges Miss.Dobinson and many other teachers at the Ursuline must face as they attempt to support all pupils and deal with each and every problem that might prevent them achieving their potential.
One of the biggest problems Miss Dobinson feels that she faces as a teacher is finding a balance for pupils, the question of how understanding can you be of someone’s problems before there is a line? Miss went on to say ‘The biggest problem I face as head of Sixth Form is trying to find the right balance for those students whose problems outside school get in the way of their work, you have to follow the system so how much leeway do you give’ It became clear that every single pupils circumstances are so different that it is so difficult to apply a universal law when you have to take into account the problems that each pupil is having.
Miss Dobinson also said she is amazed at how much the school has changed believing we are ‘more driven, have more opportunities, are stronger academically than 10 years ago and have powerful leadership and drive’. Miss Dobinson and I both agreed that this is because of the hard work and dedication of both teachers and pupils finding a common ground and working together to improve all aspects of the school.
I came to the conclusion that teaching is most definitely kind, despite facing challenges, at the end of the day knowing that you have helped a pupil achieve their goal couldn’t be more satisfying. Miss Dobinson also believes that the Ursuline creates ‘confident, inspiring young leaders of the future and that this is due to the Serviam ethos and the encouragement to live this out’. Teaching allows you to help someone get to where they want to go, even the students that don’t believe they can achieve what they want, are encouraged to pursue all dreams and when they achieve them, that is the glory of teaching.
