Suzanne

Head of English Department
Teacher of English

Education

• BA and MA in English Language and Literature, Trinity College, University of Oxford, UK
• PGCE (UK Post-Graduate teaching qualification), the Open University, UK

Bio
After graduating and some travelling, I worked in industry as an analyst-programmer in a large IT company for several years, before realising that my heart lay in teaching. I have worked in a range of schools in the UK and in the Middle East, gathering rich experience and further qualifications, for example in alternative ways of learning. I love dancing, art, literature, all aspects of language and communication, but especially those moments when a light bulb illuminates over a person's head.

What is the favourite part of the course you teach?
This is like asking about my favourite book - impossible to answer. My favourite aspect of teaching the course is seeing new ideas blossom in people's minds as a result of in-depth discussion.

Which teaching method do you prefer and why?
I love to elicit ideas that people did not know they had, and learning from what other people think and believe. The most rewarding part is watching people learn how to do things which they thought they could not do.

What advice would you give to a student of your subject?
We have a mantra, which can be seen in the classroom. "Be more specific."

Who is your role model or mentor or who inspires you?
I still think about my English Literature teacher from when I was 16 to 18 years old. She taught us to think for ourselves, and about many more things than the books we were reading.

What is your life motto?
We can sort it out together.

What are the three things you can't imagine your life without?
Books. Love. Laughing at funny things.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Knitting. Reading. Dancing.