"My story is in no way all sweetness and light, cute and slushy. It's earthy, gritty and heartbreaking, yet also rewarding,challenging, life-changing and vital." Kath Padgett was a naive, newly qualified graduate teacher of modern languages just as Dawn were topping the charts with 'Knock Three Times,' Spangles were the sweets of choice and orange miniskirts with shoes from Freeman, Hardy & Willis all the rage. This is the tale of those teaching years ...the characters and dark humour, the rawness, deprivations and instilling of hope as much as education. Sharing a social history of the time - including original letters received from parents - Kath deals with playground tragedy, first foreign trips and staff room politics, emerging on a career path that saw her ultimately spend 46 years as a teacher. "I never taught anywhere other than Yorkshire, but those formative years were my grounding, as empowering as they are poignant."

About the Author
At my first interview for my very first permanent job after graduating, I was asked, "Are you strong, lass? You'll need to be to work in this school." This question was put to me as I embarked upon my educational journey by Miss D. M. Brooke, the deputy head and was delivered in a steely and meaningful way which I came to realise was one of her trademarks. I'd gained a modern languages degree from one of the recently constructed redbrick universities. The first two years of my teaching career was a wonderful time in my life that perhaps can only be appreciated in retrospect. Every day presented a different, testing challenge, I learned to live on my feet and with my wits about me and it was a vibrant, eye-opening, exciting introduction to the profession.I was born, went to school in and have never taught anywhere else apart from Yorkshire and have always been extremely proud of that grounding. It stood me in good stead.


Book Information
ISBN 9780993510144
Author Kath Padgett
Format Paperback
Page Count 208
Imprint Scratching Shed Publishing Ltd
Publisher Scratching Shed Publishing Ltd
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 138mm * 16mm