Graduate's Anonymous: My Name is Mark...

...and I'm an English student. Hi Mark.

I don't know how it happened really. One minute I was a creatively inspired child prodigy burnout, next I'm writing essays on all the mentions of the word 'air' in Jane Eyre. What happened? How did I end up doing such a pointless degree?

Was in the pub the other night (my source of all cultural knowledge.) Someone asked me after I told them what I did, "Oh, so you want to be a teacher then?"

No. Not even if the choice is between that and being a fingernail pulling tester for some South American junta. Really, no, not if my life depended on it.

"But teaching is a noble profession."

No, teaching should be; there's a difference. It pays terribly and the children...ah, yeah them... I recall being at school and the horror I inflicted upon many teachers and I was far from the worst. My class managed to force the retirement of one old dear and cause another to hit the sick with 'stress related illness.' No, I do not want to meet the equivalent of me as a teacher. 

So it was very pleasing for me to find this gem the other day. Sir Ken Robinson has advised anybody who is anyone on creativity and education. And he has some surprising views, that I strongly agree with, on the way we are educated, the way we educate and the value we place on certain professions and abilities. He's also one of the funniest speakers I've ever heard on the always entertaining TED talks series that includes Minsky, Dawkins and Francis:

Alternatively, I could just go be a teacher.


Maybe not.



God no.



Well, fair point.

Sorry to all teachers reading this, but Woody Allen once said "Those who can't do, teach. And those who can't teach, teach gym." So at least you have someone to look down on.

Mark