We teachers are a predictable bunch. I would estimate that over three quarters of our classrooms are adorned with ‘inspiring quotes’ from great leaders and thinkers of days gone by. Teachers have two options when deciding how to bring positivity and hopefulness into the lives of their pupils and unfortunately both options normally fall on deaf ears (or is that deaf eyes?). Firstly they can follow their heart, and go for the quotes that used to inspire them when they were a lad or lass, Churchill (not the TV dog), Martin Luther King and Einstein are all common favourites.
Alternatively they can opt for a more modern approach and go for public figures that the pupils have actually heard of, or at least aware of their existence. This allows for some more interesting choices of David Beckham and Will Smith, quotes which I have seen before, albeit after a cartoon style double-take (a Will Smith quote, really?).
In addition to these there are obvious subject allegiances, English teachers favour playwrights, History teachers favour world leaders and mathematicians prefer…mathematicians, and aside from these there are few deviations from this norm.
To try and be too obscure only leads to constant badgering of “Who’s he?” or “Is that what you’re into sir?” from the pupils and it can often become more trouble than its worth. A bit of digression from the lesson can sometimes be a much needed break, but when you get the strong scent of stalling tactics you know it’s time to pull the quote down.
The prize for all time worst choice of inspirational quote combination (if that award doesn’t exist someone please invent it now) goes to a colleague of mine who put together a short PowerPoint presentation to coincide with the start of the exam period for year 11. During assembly this particular teacher had just got to the end of volume 14 of the trademark rousing speech about the importance of GCSEs. As you can imagine the teenage crowd were on tenterhooks and their anticipation was palpable. I was wondering whether her effort would be included in the next instalment of the Guardian’s ‘World’s Greatest Speeches’ supplements? Probably not. At this point I think even she knew she had lost 95% of the audience to mind-numbing boredom with even the other teachers resorting to activities like counting the bricks on the wall out of the window. It was then she unveiled her secret weapon, a PowerPoint presentation so powerful it threatened to claw back some attention from the students. What’s this? Music? Maybe I’ll give this a chance… No wait, It’s The Climb by Miley Cyrus, back to the bricks 87, 88, 89…
For a bit of light reading whilst this sickly sweet attempt at inspirational music delighted our ears, the teacher had made some interesting choices. First came a quote from Rupert Murdoch presumably advising the kids how they can achieve world domination by masquerading as a media mogul, and tips on saturating the public’s televisions and newspapers with narrow-minded views in order to scare people away from thinking for themselves. I didn’t read the quote but I assume it went something like that. The second was a quote from Margaret Thatcher and again my amusement at the selection meant I didn’t actually read it but I can hazard a guess as to what it said. Probably along the lines of giving the students a few tips on how to sell off public services to already wealthy capitalists and pretend it’s in the interest of the public. Or maybe it was outlining how to systematically destroy several industries in which vast numbers of people are employed. I don’t think anybody in the room even read the quote so it doesn’t matter but the choice alone made me chuckle.
The fact that this teacher thinks that Rupert Murdoch and Margaret Thatcher should be role models for our young adults is utterly disgusting. The only thing they can teach us is how to go against every moral and intelligent thought that we have just to make more money or gain more political power. If this is what my colleagues deem a success then our students are in trouble. The only thing these people can teach us is how not to live our lifes.
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