Windsurf – July 2019

PETER HART MASTERCLASS

102 JULY 2019

E

veryone who went to school will have something to say about their

teachers. Interviews with high achievers often reveal a familiar storyline.

The headmaster’s report read something like: “Tracey is disruptive,

rude, stupid and will amount to nothing in future life.” But somewhere

along the line, a quirky English teacher saw something in her, sparked and nur-

tured a desire to write and now she’s a ‘Man Booker Prize’ winner.

“She taught me all I know” is often how you praise a treasured mentor. She

almost certainly didn’t – she just taught you how to learn. Yes you might have

had a natural affinity for the subject, but the game changer was that you felt she

had a genuine interest in you – she ‘got’ you. You liked her for that, wanted to

please her and hence listened and radiated enthusiasm. But in the other classes,

in a ‘cutting nose off to spite face’ situation, you were deliberately distant and

inattentive to punish the poor teacher for being old and boring. You can blame

them for your failure - but you had a hand in it too. Admit it – in that class, you

were a rubbish student.

TECHNIQUE

The

Gentle

Art of

Being

Coached

There are good and bad teachers. But there are also good

and bad pupils. With the holiday season upon us and

many heading to centres home and abroad, Harty, with a

few thousand coaching hours under his belt, offers much

advice on how to get the most out of tuition.

Words Peter Hart // Photos Hart Photogrpahy & Graham White