I have been lucky enough to be involved in teaching one way or another all my life. My grandmother was a teacher, and she gave me a love of learning and showed me how to share knowledge. From the start I was a teacher to my three younger brothers, and I enjoyed sharing with them, looking after them, and teaching them things. My love for philosophy came naturally too. I was a curious child, always asking questions, a habit which is essential to being a philosopher. Indeed, all active learners are philosophers in a sense.

I took classes in philosophy at high school, and (following a two-year diversion studying business administration), went to study philosophy at Keele University, which then had one of the strongest departments in the UK. But I wanted to teach too, and so took a Subsidiary in Education, which involved two years' study of teaching theory and practice (concurrent with my other studies), and a placement teaching English Literature at a UK high school (James Brindley in Stoke). I had intended to complete a third and final year (consisting of a second placement), which would have given me a Certificate in Education. However, my tutors were worried that I was over-committing myself and persuaded me to focus on my work in philosophy and to pursue a career in academia.

After graduating from Keele (see my BA certificate and transcript), I went on to do postgraduate study in philosophy at the University of Sheffield, gaining my MA there (certificate) in 1999 and later starting a part-time PhD (on Gricean theories of conversational implicature). At Sheffield, in 1997, I had my first teaching job, as tutor in philosophy to undergraduates. I enjoyed the experience and received very positive feedback, and I decided I wanted to do more teaching.

While finishing my MA part-time, I was encouraged to apply to the Professional and Continuing Education department back at Keele, to teach adult education classes to professionals. I was accepted, and between 1998 and 2001 I developed, organised, and taught three university-accredited philosophy courses and co-taught a cognitive science course with a lecturer from the Keele Biology Department (see this testimonial and this).

Around this time, a student of my adult classes (herself a lecturer in psychology) recommend me to Newcastle-Under-Lyme College, who head-hunted me to teach AS Philosophy. I found the post very rewarding and worked at the college till 2001 (testimonial). My students loved philosophy, and at their request I persuaded the college to expand the curriculum to include A2 Philosophy and AS Critical Thinking. Many of my students went on to study for a degree in philosophy (see, e.g., this letter).

For a while I was Acting Head of Philosophy at the college, piloting the transition to a new exam board, dealing with budgeting and recruitment, and fighting successfully to defend the college’s philosophy provision from threatened cuts (see this testimonial).

Concurrently with my work the college, I continued to tutor philosophy courses at Sheffield (testimonial) and Keele, and I was for a time a Visiting Lecturer in philosophy at Wolverhampton University. I also applied for teaching posts in secondary schools, and was offered two positions, one at a state school and another at an independent school. However, since I was anxious to be closer to my partner, who was a lecturer with the Open University in Milton Keynes, I decided, with regret, not to take these up and moved away from Staffordshire.

I then joined my partner at the Open University, working as an education manager in the Arts Faculty, supporting the production and presentation of courses, organising summer schools, and administering assessment processes and exam boards (see this description of my duties). The OU also gave me opportunities to teach again, at which of course I leapt. In 2002-03 I was appointed an Associate Lecturer to teach a pilot online version of one of the university's philosophy courses. Again I enjoyed this hugely, and the feedback and online evaluation of my teaching was very positive. Later, the Open University offered me a consultancy to write a short introduction to philosophy for prospective students. The material was well-received and still forms part of the Open University's online introduction to philosophy.

In the mid-2000s my career was temporarily interrupted by family concerns. I took a series of career breaks for pregnancy, and in 2008 I moved to Crete to help care for my brother, who is severely handicapped. The move was intended to be temporary, but the economic crisis in Greece meant that my help was needed for much longer.

As things became a little easier, I again sought out teaching work. Since 2011 I have held a full-time teaching post in the English-speaking section of the School of European Education in Heraklion. This a Type 2 European school, run by the Greek government but following the ethos and curriculum of Schola Europaea. I am a class teacher in the primary school, teaching a broad non-denominational curriculum including literacy, English literature, maths, science, ethics, and humanities. I had a fifth-grade class for my first two years, and currently have a third-grade one. I also have several organisational roles in the school. In my first year I was appointed Ethics Coordinator (subject head); in my second year the role of Integration Officer was added (responsible for helping integrate the different language communities in the school and for inclusion issues), and in the current year I have taken on the further role of Maths Coordinator. (For testimonials, see this letter, this, and this).

I have enjoyed this work enormously, and I intend to remain in teaching, extending my skills and developing my career. We plan to return to the UK in the near future and I am looking forward to finding a new post there in the lifelong sector.

I feel my life and career are currently at a turning point. Some things are coming to an end: I am close to submitting my PhD (written part-time over several years), my children are no longer infants, and our stay in Crete is nearly over. At the same time, exciting new opportunities are arising. I am loving teaching work more than ever and am looking forward to finding teaching posts in UK and following a career in the UK teaching profession. My membership of IfL and my current application for QTLS status are part of my strategy for making this happen.

My path to this point may have been somewhat unorthodox, but it has been a rich and varied one, and it has given me a unique and highly valuable combination of knowledge, skills, and experience.

To sum up, I have been involved in the lifelong sector in one capacity or another all my life, teaching every age group and every level. I have always had a great rapport with my students regardless of their age, background, culture, or ability. I have always managed to stimulate their learning and help them flourish. This is the magic of teaching for me and it is what I am good at.