Facing Out From The Whiteboard: What I've Learned, Part One.

Transferring your pedagogical skills from the classroom to the commercial sector might just be more worthy than you think. This blog explores the possibilities of which skills could be more beneficial than you first deem. Part one: be amiable and artistic.

In 2014, having taught English Language, Literature and Media Studies for 7 years professionally, I was completely disillusioned with the post-Gove legacy. I’d been flattened thinner than a short-sighted hedgehog on the motorway by ridiculous pre-Ofsted expectations to mark 200+ books per week; mark the same piece of work 3 times in coloured-coded comments to show progress and being pressured into manipulating results to show all pupils were above target, exceeding target or unexpectedly exceeding target. At the end of the day, you can’t polish a turd – take heed, Greening.

Being of the stubborn age of somewhere between 30 and 40, I decided it was time to change. I’d wanted to be a writer since I was 17 and who was I to argue with myself over life-changing decisions? I’d had dalliances with writing for 3 years so wasn’t now the right time to make a career out of it? Gove’s legacy had made my profession intolerable and I’d unequivocally decided I’d rather start sweeping city centre roads after a weekend’s revellers had vomited cheap shots and congealed doner meat into gutters than continue my work-life imbalance. I began to consider the transferable skills I had to play with. Media Studies seemed a good place to start: there had to be some innate knowledge - somewhere. After completing my research about working in marketing and advertising, I concluded that actually I had more transferable skills and erudition than I thought.  I had good communication skills; I knew that adding personality to your writing was like seasoning your food with exotic spices; I understand how to evoke the right responses when writing; I can use technology. The list goes on. The essential skills are listed below with my evidence of how transferrable each skill really is. Take a look for yourself:

 • Ambition to succeed
I mentioned Gove, yes?  I don’t think I have ever been more determined to write and write well, preferably for a world-wide, world-renowned charity.

 • Interpersonal communication
As a teacher, a typical day involves some form of communication with the following: able pupils, reluctant pupils, mad-as-a-hatter pupils, office staff, teaching assistants, teachers you like, teachers you don’t like, members of the Senior Leadership Team that scare the crap out of you, nice parents, terrifying parents and members of the sports faculty. Every single one of these requires a vast range of flexible interpersonal skills which you are expected to switch between at lightning speeds.
  - These skills include verbal skills – pretty sure I’ve covered this one.
  - Non-verbal skills – the very effective ‘teacher look’. The teacher’s ability to use hand signals for a variety of meanings could secure them a job in air traffic control.
  - Listening skills – teachers spend all day long listening to inane whining, incompetent concepts and ridiculous proclamations. That’s just from the management team before registration. You then listen to pupils for the next 6-7 hours non-stop.
  - Conflict resolution – anyone with experience of teens knows the expertise teachers have in this area.
  - Negotiating, persuasion and influencing skills. Year 11 don’t get A*s and A**s without some influence and persuasion. Let’s not forget the reluctant learners aka boys!

• Influencing and negotiation skills - know your customers and markets
Just to expand on the above.  I’m yet to lose an argument with a pupil. I can coerce them into doing boring work and regularly use empowering vernacular to persuade them they can achieve just so they complete their homework and revise. I’ve prevented fights between Eastern European, Asian and Afro-Caribbean gangs – no mean feat! I play liaison officer between friends and put up with parents blaming me for their child’s failure whilst smiling sweetly through gritted teeth. As head of secondary in Tanzania, I managed two 6 foot + misogynistic, racist men who persistently endeavoured to ruin my day. Knowing markets is a little trickier but the more I shop online, the more I’m getting to know about what’s out there. That covers it, doesn’t it?

 • Creativity and expression – crafting remarkable customer experiences
 In the classroom, what the interactive whiteboard can’t do, teachers do. I’ve pulled faces, dressed up as old women, jumped on desks and performed freeze frames, made Knight Buses out of children and played Quidditch without brooms. I even made King Lear understandable for 11 year olds. Seriously, we’re referring to teenagers who yawn, burp, fake cough and break wind to disrupt a class. If a teacher can prevent one or more of these, they are oozing creativity and expression from every pore.

• Good writing ability – great storytellers
I’ve made up so many stories it’s hard to know where to start. From convincing Year 7 I went to Hogwarts, to eliciting stances on real-life experiences and injustices – Bigfoot’s existence, Taiji, the Bulger killers and whether man really did land on the moon. I’ve told bare-faced lies to motivate reluctant learners into work and shared heart-warming/wrenching stories from real-life experiences. A key component to teaching is the ability to write well and tell stories. At the end of the day, your pupils’ written work is only as good as what and how you teach. Once you have these skills, a bit of practise and you can produce all kinds of content and copy effectively.

Suddenly, the idea of being a successful writer and leaving teaching somewhere in the dust as I drive my copywriting Lotus over it several times and reverse a couple of times for good measure, seemed very achievable.

Let’s see what Part 2 and the mechanics of being a part of the commercial sector brings.