For the most part I was a teacher, primary teaching, English as a Second Language, Special Needs, and a stint as a university language lecturer

I also had one small business.

Fundamentally, in the classroom, I intuited that however I felt about a student, I had to find something I liked about that same student. Once I found that something, I found other things.The thing too is, when I found something to like about a fractious student, the rest of the students changed their attitudes too. The fact that I had the power to influence stayed with me for the whole of my career.

When mentoring students teachers I emphasised the need to find positivity in all students. If they couldn't do that ten they had to challenge themselves as to why.

I also learned how to stand up for myself. If I were to start all over again, I would do thing differently.