For the next two years I was very happy to teach at the Prep school and found that I seemed to have a natural talent which began to be recognized by others. A school inspector, seeing my style of teaching, encouraged me to go into the profession in a more serious way. He pointed out that the government was about to legislate against unqualified teachers, and it would be a pity for me not to carry on teaching.
Once again, taking courage in both hands, I applied for a Government Grant and started on a three-year full-time course at ‘Strawberry Hill’, a teacher training college of London University.
These were three wonderful years, and two more children came along before it was over. I worked hard at Mathematics, English and Religion and in my final year, I concentrated on Religion as my main subject.
Part of the course included two weeks of teaching in an allotted school and, during that time, being assessed by a team of inspectors. This teaching practice went well in all years, but especially in the third and most crucial inspection when the unexpected happened.
I was taking a class of 16-year-olds who were not exactly the ‘religious’ type. I was not at all familiar with any of the boys in this class, most of whom were dressed in heavy leather gear and showing little interest in the subject. I was trying my best to coax them into attention, but it was hard going. At that point I was told the inspectors were turning up any minute and there was little or no time to prepare anything special. This, I knew, would be the last time I was to be monitored. This, I knew, would be the one that would count the most. I prayed.
During the short time I had spent with the class, I noticed one young man who was extremely polite. He also happened to be the only non-Catholic in the class. I felt prompted to involve him.
“Lord why are you pointing out this young man to me?” I asked, “Help me to do the right thing.” I still felt prompted to involve him so I picked up courage and asked him if he would like to talk about the problem of drug abuse and what was being done to heal this sickness.
Without a pause, the young man said he would be happy to do this. I was concerned and asked him if this would put too much pressure on him, but he assured me he was not at all worried.
Eventually, not two, but three supervisors turned up including my Religious Education lecturer and a teacher at Richard Challoner school where I was teaching. I walked into the classroom and asked the boys to treat their fellow student with respect and to listen and ask questions. I made reference to the words of Jesus about healing the sick, feeding the hungry etc.
This young man got up and launched into the subject with surprising confidence. The room fell silent. Every ear, including those of the inspectors, was attentive. He talked brilliantly with great ease and conviction giving facts and examples while outlining the problems of addiction and what was being done to help. He mentioned religious organizations who were trying to help and finished by giving the present day thinking about causes.
I was flabbergasted by his knowledge as were the rest of the class. They erupted into a bombardment of questions which he was happy to answer.
After the class was dismissed, the supervisors came up to congratulate me, assuring me that I would get the highest grading possible.
“I had very little to do with it,” I said. “The student was brilliant. It was the Lord. He answered my prayers.” They just smiled.
I caught up with the young man later on and congratulated him for his wonderful talk.
“How on earth do you know so much about this subject,” I asked. “How did you know about all those organizations?”
He looked at me straight in the eye. “I thought you knew,” he said.
“Know what?”
“That my father is an Anglican Pastor who runs a drug addiction center in Kingston called ‘Kaleidoscope’”.
“No, I didn’t. Thank you.” I said and asked him to tell me more about the place.
With the help of that successful teaching practice assessment, I passed ’With Distinction’ at the highest grade.
The Lord does not do things by half!