​​​​Greg Turner

Greg Turner

I believe that students learn best by doing, being able to make connections with past experiences and by learning from resources that they find relevant to their lives.  As a Science teacher this is my aim for every lesson, however of equal importance is that students feel that they are in a safe, caring and equitable environment where they are encouraged to express their own opinions, thoughts and feelings on what they are learning.  In order to get the best out of students they must feel that they are within an environment where pushing themselves is encouraged and in which they are prepared to take a risk.  Failure should be considered part of the learning process, rather than something that should be avoided at all costs.  As teachers we should be encouraging those attributes that we feel are important as well as focusing on our own subject specialisms.  For me, attributes such as honesty, responsibility, open mindedness, thoughtfulness and having a balanced lifestyle are of upmost importance, if our aim is for students to develop into well-rounded adults.  Above all else I always emphasize to my students that the level of their ability is not what counts, it is what they do with that ability that really matters.  I feel that a school’s aim should be to try and educate the whole student.  As a father of two young children I am finding myself increasingly thinking about the sort of education that I feel I want for my children.  Whilst having a strong academic upbringing is important to me, so too are physical activity, being able to communicate well and work well with other people no matter what their background and realizing that we have a responsibility to people who are less fortunate than ourselves.