I’ve been meaning to start this blog since I started at UCL Arena back in March 2022, but there’s always been something else to do and so this went further and further down my list.

Why then am I starting now? I recently completed my SFHEA application (and passed 🤪) which is a process that took me on my own educational journey and reminded me of how fortunate I am that I chose teaching as my profession or did it choose me?

My own schooling took place in the UK, Zambia, Nigeria, India and Pakistan in both the private and state sectors…from the Nilgiri mountains of Ooty to a strict boarding school in Hampshire. I’ve often heard friends and colleagues complaining about their school experience – may be I was lucky that I moved from one school to another and thrived in those environments.

I completed my degree in Biological Sciences and then went on to do a PGCE in Secondary Science – having been cocooned in middle class schools I suddenly found myself in a London school where there was chaos in the classroom. It was a revelation, but a little too much for someone who was thrown in the deep end without much support from the teachers in the school who felt it was fair game to watch the trainees suffer (perhaps as they had done!). Needless to say, I jumped ship and took the advice of my brother who had taken a gap year to teach English as a Foreign Language. He had spent a year in Spain and loved every minute – my EFL journey began with a short course at International House in Piccadilly after which I taught European and then Japanese students in various EFL centres around the UK. In addition to the classroom-based teaching, we visited museums, went to plays in the West End and went on field trips to Stratford upon Avon and Edinburgh. How different from my experience in the science classroom where students were mixing chemicals, dissecting mice with no care or respect and generally running riot. You can see now why I changed career!

The scene was set and by chance I came upon an advertisement in The Guardian for the Japan Exchange Teaching Programme. I remember going for an interview at the Japanese Embassy in Piccadilly hoping that this would be the start of a new adventure. Did I speak any Japanese? Did I have any idea what I was letting myself in for? Clearly not – I received the letter telling me that I had been successful and would be on my way to a secondary school in Osaka (Sakai Higashi) after a week at the Intercontinental Hotel in Tokyo. What they failed to mention was that it was August…the hottest, most humid month in Japan!

Imagine this – bright-eyed university graduates of various disciplines all headed to Tokyo in Business Class…this was going to be fun! I ended up spending 6 years in Japan teaching all levels from kindergarten to university students, I learnt Japanese, took proficiency tests and exams but never felt a sense of belonging. I was always the outsider, the ‘gaijin’…yet, I’d never felt that i belonged in England either. Where was my ‘home’?

外人

The next stage in my journey was unfolding – in search of my identity . I could wax lyrical on this topic but won’t as it’s an unfinished project – if you want to read more then my PhD thesis is available from the British Library.

We usually don’t have the luxury of reflecting (particularly in relation to our own educational journey) so doing the SFHEA gave me the opportunity to look at my leadership journey as well as my own practice and the way in which I have brought about changes particularly in relation to empowering students.

If you’re at that stage and thinking about completing the SFHEA here is some information from the Advance HE website. If you’re a UCL colleague – just to let you know that there is no fee and that there is a lot of support available from UCL Arena.

Senior Fellowship is awarded to professionals who demonstrate they meet the criteria of Descriptor 3 (D3) of the Professional Standards Framework (PSF) 2023 for teaching and supporting learning in higher education. It is suitable for individuals whose comprehensive understanding and effective practice provides a basis from which they lead or influence the learning and teaching practices of others (peers, colleagues, mentees, etc.) who teach and/or support high-quality learning.

To be awarded Senior Fellowship, individuals must evidence that their effective and inclusive practice meets the following three Descriptor 3 criteria statements:

• D3.1 a sustained record of leading or influencing the practice of those who teach and/or support high quality learning
• D3.2 practice that is effective, inclusive and integrates all Dimensions
• D3.3 practice that extends significantly beyond direct teaching and/or direct support for learning