Jaz Wharmby – Creative Mentors Foundation

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Throughout my primary school life and much of my secondary school life I struggled greatly in the academic subjects at school. In addition to this, despite having a love for the creative subjects, I often struggled with aspects of these too (drawing accurately and reading and writing music). Discovering I had dyslexia and dyspraxia was quite a relief and made me realise that there was a clear reason for my difficulties and therefore strategies that could be put in place to support me.

During my GCSEs I made the decision that I wasn’t (for once) going to be bottom of the class and that I would strive to do really well. With high levels of parental support I learnt about how I learn and realised that I had the potential to learn things just in an alternative way.

After completing a Music degree at Oxford Brookes University I decided to do a PGCE which I completed at Cambridge University. When applying for this course I was asked why I wanted to be a teacher. I realised that (unlike the majority of fellow trainees who had experienced a positive school life where they thrived academically) I was actually inspired by the negative experiences I had at school and the positive experience of relentless parental support. It depressed me to think that if I had not had that support I would not necessarily have got through the education system.

During my teaching degree I became passionate about the creative subjects and during a research project that I carried out in teaching through creativity, I realised the positive impact that these subjects could have not only on students’ wellbeing but also on their academic endeavours.

I currently teach part time at a primary school in Lewisham for children assessed with special educational needs and work for creative mentors. I feel privileged to be able to say that I love both of my jobs.