“MY POLITICS
TEACHER TAUGHT
ME THAT I HAVE A
VOICE, AND THE
POWER I HOLD
WHEN I USE IT ”ELLE.COM/UK April 2020 201
Teachers have a unique opportunity
to inspire the next generation, helping
them to feel empowered and engaged.
To find out more about the different
ways you can train as a teacher,
search ‘Get Into Teaching’‘The teacher who
inspired me most at
school was my head
of sixth form and French
teacher, Mr Donovan
(or “Dono” as we called him). He
was an Oxford-graduate linguist
who had so much passion for
French culture and history.
He was the reason I studied
languages at university. He
taught us about the likes of French
Resistance fighter Jean Moulin,
director Jean-Luc Godard and
writer Simone de Beauvoir. His
own love of teaching inspired
me to become a language
assistant in France for a year,
and I owe a lot of my love of
travelling and learning to him.’
KATIE O’MALLEY,
digital news editor‘When Mrs Fildes joined our art department in
secondary school, she brought such an energy to the
classroom. She really supported our work, even my
more “conceptual” art projects, and always pushed
us to be creative. She was the one who encouraged me to study
an art foundation course at Central Saint Martins – without
her, I might have succumbed to the pressure of going on to work
in finance, law or medicine, instead of taking a more creative
route. She was the reason I applied for my fashion journalism
course, which ultimately led me to ELLE.’
BECKY BURGUM, features assistant‘My politics and
economics teacher,
Mr Richards, always
made sure we usedthe classroom to have open
debates about politics and the
world we live in. He taught me
that I have a voice and a point
of view, and the power I hold
when I use it. He also sparked
a passion for Joy Division.’
LENA DE CASPARIS, associate editor
‘My sixth form RPE
(religion, philosophy
and ethics) teacher
showed me how to think
critically. A lot of other
subjects were about learning through
text and memorising facts, whereas she
encouraged freedom of thought. Being
able to challenge multiple perspectives
is incredibly relevant to my work now
as a journalist. I might not have even
realised it at the time, but her passion
and dedication made a real impact.’
LIV LITTLE, CEO of gal-dem and
ELLE contributor‘Mrs Richards had a
brilliant mind and an
informal style. She told us
once that she liked to go to
bed with Othello, and there
were occasional updates from her marriage
counselling. But these were deliberate ploys
to make us feel mature and valued – hard
feelings to come by when you’re 16. She
sought to build us up while she taught us
things. Whip-smart and unpredictable, she
was thrilling company. I often think of her
with a sort of wistful, inky romance.’
SUSIE BOYT, author and ELLE contributor