Oliver Smith

"I cannot just teach my pupils 'the facts' "

How did you know you wanted to be a teacher?

I didn't really. I describe it as my Moses experience. It seems to me Moses really didn't know much about what he was letting himself in for when he followed God's calling to lead the Israelites into the wilderness. I felt the same about teaching. I really knew very little about the job or what students were like in an FE college. But I had a strong sense that this was where God wanted me to be. After four years I can say I enjoy the job, although it can be pretty demanding. But then the wilderness wasn't exactly a stroll in the park for Moses.

What do you value about being a teacher?

I see teaching as investing, not in stocks and shares, but in people. It's a long term investment and I may never see the results of my efforts. But I am inputting something practical into my students' lives. There aren't many jobs where you have that opportunity.

How do you spend your time as a teacher?

Obviously a lot of it is spent in the classroom delivering the curriculum. That's really important because my students need qualifications. But I find I am fulfilling a lot of other roles. Sometimes I am a counsellor helping students with sensitive issues they face. Other times I am a probation officer, helping them to manage their lives in challenging circumstances. Occasionally it feels like I am like a police officer! It is really very varied.

What is teaching sociology like?

Sociology is a very diverse and controversial subject. There are lots of debates - I cannot just teach my students ‘the facts'. Working in a multicultural city like Birmingham means I have a huge range of views represented amongst my students. I really enjoy the challenge of that. I try and be sensitive to different people's views and I see it as part of my responsibility to help my students understand and listen carefully to those they disagree with.

Isn't that difficult as a Christian?

Not at all. The fact that I enjoy this multicultural situation doesn't mean I am compromising my faith. Exactly the opposite in fact; I am able to share my views because I encourage the students to share theirs. For example, I have just got married. In sociology the syllabus requires that we study marriage and how the number of people getting married is declining with secularisation. So my students were really intrigued as to why I was getting married. I was able to tell them why I thought it was important as a Christian. They were far more interested in the Christian view because I encouraged them to hear a range of views than if I have made them study a Christian view of marriage in a formal way.