The Life Geographic: A somewhat self-absorbed personal and professional development blog of an ex-Geography high-school teacher…
In a recent episode of the Coffee & Geography Podcast, I sat down with Cormac Lawler, the dynamic new Regional Hub Manager for the Climate Ambassadors scheme in the Northwest of England. A self-proclaimed "sociable introvert" with a passion for community and the environment, Cormac is the perfect person to lead this important initiative. Originally … Continue reading Calling All Climate Champions: Meet Cormac, Northwest Climate Ambassador Regional Manager
The University of East Anglia (UEA) is coordinating the East of England hub for the Climate Ambassador Scheme, a national initiative to provide expert support to nurseries, schools, and colleges in their sustainability efforts. The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at UEA will lead the recruitment and training of volunteer Climate Ambassadors to empower educators and students in the region to take meaningful climate action. The East of England, particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts, will benefit from this scheme as it equips the next generation with the skills and knowledge to navigate a changing planet.
Today, a book titled 'Developing Quality PSHE in Secondary Schools and Colleges' was released. Within this book, I contributed a chapter on 'Diversity and Discrimination' through my work with Diverse Educators. The book also covers topics such as engaging parents/carers, sex education, and media literacy. My co-writers and I went through many drafts and rewrites of our chapter, and my part in particular about global citizenship and so-called 'British Values' had to be cut down quite substantially to fit in. So, to both celebrate the release of the book and to share my thoughts and findings that didn't make it to publication, here is my full draft before all the editing and cutting took place.
It was good to absorb myself in more natural surroundings and get more-or-less offline for a week. It was worth the numerous mosquito bites! Lots of lovely family memories made; here are but a few through a geographer's lens.
I am delighted to have been invited by Norwich Theatre to contribute to their Creative Matters: Climate Stories programme. My story, titled 'How to talk to children about the climate crisis' will be take place on Wednesday 20th September at 19:00, and will be a session combining performance poetry, prose and an informative talk.
Given the recent news about the calls from scientists to officially recognise that we've moved into a new geological epoch, the 'Anthropocene', it seemed like a fitting time to repost this blog and video that I wrote for US-based Odd Salon. It's quirky, silly, but definitely gives you food for thought! Watch out for the … Continue reading The Anthropocene: Does Arrogance Outlast Decay?
A piece of poetry performed at the Geographical Association Annual Conference 2023 TeachMeet titled '#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs (The Power of Geography Voice)'.
The theme for @The_GA #GAConf23 is #CollaborativeGeographies! So the @DecoloniseGeog educators group have collated sessions of interest. Check it out and share widely!
I'm a football fan. I'm an England fan. I'm an intersectional feminist. I've been dubbed a 'social justice warrior' (that's a badge of honour). I'm a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Needless to say... I'm conflicted. But I'm also a geographer, so that gives a hook and lens to tackle this (excuse the pun!). I … Continue reading Qatar 2022: Controversial geographies And data
Since that publication is now no longer available, it has been made available in full here (December 2022).
Why does an individual become a teacher, and what is their number one priority? Is it to pass on knowledge of something that they are passionate about? Is it to give youngsters the best possible opportunities to fulfil their potential? I can’t speak for every single teacher. However, from my own experience, is that while passion and aspiration-raising are significant parts of a teacher’s identity, nurturing and protecting young people is fundamental. This loco-parentis aspect of the job is called ‘safeguarding’.
Through various jobs in education, I’m pretty clued up on safeguarding practice and policy. When I combine this with my experience working in the climate science sector, it is very clear to me that climate change is a safeguarding issue. I have laid out my case via teachers conferences,
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Geogramblings 