STUDENT/TEACHER INTERVIEW
RESPECT FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT
YEAR 8 STUDENT, ARTIE SPEAKS WITH MR LEWIS CORNWELL, SCIENCE TEACHER/HEAD OF YEAR 9
WE ARE IN A CLIMATE CRISIS. EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT.
What inspired you to be a teacher?
Tell me about the teacher who inspired you the most?
An enjoyment of helping others and the sense of reward I felt seeing those I’d worked with succeeding on their own.
My Physics teacher Mr Parsons, and Deputy Head of Year Mr Peters. Aside from writing a song about us and playing it on his banjo, Mr Parsons was such a caring and supportive person. Mr Peters provided us all with a safe and welcoming environment and helped me to grow in confidence.
If you were not a teacher, what would you be? Before, and even during my time teaching, I worked in microbiology laboratories working on medical devices, so I would be in that line of work still. Either that or a postal worker, although that would be a later in life type of thing!
Who are your heroes? Not hero so much, but someone who inspires me is Michael Perry. I’ve enjoyed Warhammer since I was twelve, and he was one of the lead sculptors for them. He lost most of his right arm in an explosion at a battle re-enactment. This could have ended his career but didn’t – he went on to learn to sculpt and paint left-handed. A true show of resilience and determination, reminding me that there are always worse situations, and you can always push through.
What is the best part of your job? The “light bulb” moment. When you’ve been working with students on a tricky concept and you see the change in their face, or the: “oohh, is that all it is?” which shows you’ve got through to them.
Why did you choose to teach at TPS? I was lucky enough to complete the first stage of my teacher training here, and was in awe of the atmosphere, students and the amazingly supportive Science department.
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What are your strengths? I’m good at working in a team and organising things. But I also still like to have my independence.
What are your weaknesses? I am a bit of a perfectionist when making things, and so it usually takes a few attempts.
What is the one exciting teaching method you use?
Can you give me one example of Enjoy, Respect and Achieve?
Being a science teacher, modelling and demonstrations are a key part of many lessons, allowing students to see what is happening as well as using practical aspects that wouldn’t be suitable for students to do themselves.
I did a video recording for the Year 6 Transition Day last year to help welcome the pupils and make secondary school seem less daunting.
What are your thoughts on education today? Tricky. The actual teaching, course structure and academic demands are all par for the course; “new” ideas cycle in the same way as they always have. What has and is changing are the students and the pressures they experience – everincreasing connectivity and exposure all competing for attention and energy that take a toll on wellbeing. The pace and visibility of change and the uncertainty it brings make the role of teacher so much more complex.
MR CORNWELL FINDS OUT MORE ABOUT ARTIE C Tell me about yourself in 30 seconds?
What or who inspires you? My friends inspire me to push myself and try things outside my comfort zone.
What plans do you have? I would love to be an actor and travel the world and see things like exotic animals.
What is your favourite saying from a song or book? “How you doin’?” - I love Friends the TV show and have a laugh with my family.
What one thing would you change about school life? Some homework platforms could be better, as I find using them takes a lot of time and so I am not doing as much revision as I would like.
It’s been projected that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. Everybody should know that. Humans are mostly to blame for it. Everybody knows that, but still there is not enough action to prevent it, writes Year 11 TPS student, Maja. However, at TPS we are aware of the climate crisis. We’re proud to be part of the Let’s Go Zero Campaign and have an active Eco Club which works effectively to spread awareness and solutions around the school. Last year, we replaced all our light bulbs with LED lights, which now use 10% of the original energy usage. We are currently focused on raising £50,000 for solar panels by holding non-school uniform days, fundraising pages and grant applications. These will save approximately twelve tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. We have many other student-led priorities for 2022 such as reviewing land use and supporting greener transport. However, one eco group cannot save the planet alone, we must come together and unite, therefore, we’re proud to be one of the founding schools of the Hampshire School’s Sustainability Network (HSSN). This allows us to share projects and motivation with local schools, and TPS has recently become a representative on a national scale and has been involved in many initiatives. For example, podcasts, where the student body has spoken about our school’s efforts towards climate change. We have also given feedback on Government papers which will help to formulate future policies regarding a green curriculum and eco-friendly school buildings. Together we will be the ones who carry our country forward into the uncertain future of our climate. What could you do to protect the environment? And remember Greta Thunberg’s quote – “No-one is too small to make a difference;” this should always be there in the forefront of our minds. You can contribute to our solar panel funding here: https://localgiving.org/appeal/TPSSolar/
I’m in Year 8 and am involved in the school musical – “TPS@TheWest End”. I enjoy gaming online with my two best friends, and I like to create things and make things based on TV or films.
BETTER TIMES
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