AN INTERVIEW WITH MR HOOPER

Mr Hooper, teacher of mathematics and Head of Badminton, is leaving EBC this year. What are his reflections on his time here?

What was your favourite thing to do at Eastbourne College?

Teaching mathematics to all my classes over the last five years has been a real joy. The College is fortunate to have such a highly talented department who are interested in both teaching and learning and also in mathematics in general. I’ve also been lucky to get to know a very fine bunch of tutees and have learned a lot from speaking to pupils from a great variety of different backgrounds.

What was your most memorable experience during your time here?

Instead of singling out one or two memorable occasions, one of the joys of working here has been the variety of different experiences One day I’ve been on the Downs encouraging pupils on the Steeplechase, on another I supervised Javelin at Sports Day or watched cage football in the dark. I’ll be in the classroom one morning, playing badminton sometime later, and then, say, at a boarder’s dinner in the evening Lunch has provided good food and many different conversations, sometimes serious and thought-provoking, sometimes fun and light-hearted

By Tom D. Müller-Broich

What are you especially proud of during your time here?

I’m particularly proud of all my pupils who have worked so hard and dealt with so much over the last five years. The pandemic has affected as all, in very different ways Although teachers don’t often talk about it, we are very aware of all the many things that occur in the life of teenagers It is very pleasing to see everyday acts of kindness. I hope that I have contributed in a small way to making the College a more caring and academic institution.

Anything else you would like to tell the present pupils of Eastbourne College?

It is very easy to get so caught up in the present that you can forget that there is a huge world out there full of fascinating people, places and knowledge. I would encourage them to be continually intellectually curious, and to do their best to make our shared planet a better place for all. Democracy and freedom also cannot be taken for granted; at the very least, vote in every election