Tutor
Carolyn Hallett
I decided to be a teacher when I was at primary school. After training in the West Midlands (culture shock after growing up in Devon!), I worked for 12 years in Kent before “coming home”. Five years later I retrained in special education and taught visually impaired pupils for 20 years. Most recently I taught students at home who were medically unable to attend school.
I feel I have come full circle. At school my favourite subject was English, so that’s what I studied at college – but as linguistics, the more analytical side of language. After a few years of teaching I retrained to teach maths – I had an A level that seemed wasted and there was a shortage of maths teachers. I carried on teaching both subjects when I moved into special education but added psychology, sociology, geography, human biology, business studies, horticulture…in special ed it’s more about the learner than the subject. Now I’m back to teaching – and examining – English, back to my first love. But as a teacher, I always say “I teach children, not subjects.”
As a farmer’s daughter I have always assumed the natural world would be appreciated and cared for. Now I realize it must be fought for and nurtured. As environment officer for my local Rotary club I have arranged tree planting sessions, taken part in environment clean-ups, pass on eco tips to members and arrange speakers on topics such as COP26. I am also on the Fair Trade committee for Exmouth and a trustee for Devon Development Education, trying to maintain a healthy, caring world for all citizens.
"One person can make a difference."
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