The Chronicle, Spring 2019

21 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Margaret Lloyd What do you do at Teddies and how long have you been here? I joined in September 2008 as second in the Maths Department and have been Head of Maths, Assistant Head (Academic) with responsibility for teacher professional development and IT, and now hold the new role of Deputy Head International. I still teach Maths, and this year have achieved my ambition of teaching my favourite subject – English. Where were you before? I was teaching at Wheatley Park School before I came to Teddies; but before that, I was a project manager in the financial services sector, working on all sorts of things including corporate partnership deals, new product launches and corporate restructuring. What does being Deputy Head International involve? At the moment, it involves lots of research: the various laws governing the operation of Chinese schools; the opportunities offered by different curriculum models; and very importantly, learning from the experience of other UK schools in China. We are in the very early stages of planning, with a lot to scope out. Why has St Edward’s joined forces with the Guanghua Education Group? Ultimately, we want to increase the number of bursaries we can offer. But we are not going to sacrifice our educational values to chase dollars. The most important thing in an international partnership venture is that the two parties share the same educational values, and Guanghua are very keen to apply western pedagogical practices in their schools. We hear a lot about how inadequate UK education is – but there is a huge market for the holistic, reflective education that we aim to deliver here. What other areas of school life are you involved in? I have been a tutor in Kendall for the last two years and am thoroughly enjoying

being in a boys’ house – in fact the more we break up mono-gendered boarding house cultures the better. I am also very involved in debating – being able to see lots of sides to substantive issues, thinking on your feet and speaking confidently in public are among the most important skills young people can learn. What do you enjoy about teaching? It’s always different – even if you’re teaching the same content, there are always different ways to deliver it and every class has a different dynamic. How has the teaching of Maths changed since you began teaching in 2004? Teaching Maths is always a tricky balance between mastering specific techniques and understanding broader concepts and applications – there are lots of exciting possibilities in Maths teaching but, ultimately, we are tied to the exam syllabuses, which increasingly provide little room for exploration. I like teaching IB - I like the way it encourages intelligent use of technology and brings Theory of Knowledge and Global Perspectives into the Maths classroom. What have been the highlights of your Teddies career so far? I don’t think I see a particular highlight – it’s a very friendly community and a lovely place to work, alongside intelligent, committed professionals who are also interesting and amusing people. Best advice you’ve ever been given? Listen to advice, by all means, but you have to make your own decisions for the right reasons. Which book would you take to a desert island? Thomas Pynchon’s Mason and Dixon : it’s funny, clever, long and eminently re-readable - perfect for a desert island, especially as our heroes spend a strange and miserable interlude on St Helena while they measure the transit of Venus. There are also bits set in County Durham so it would remind me of home.