For years a book written by Shropshire’s Chris Walsh about his trials and tribulations as a young teacher setting out on his career lay languishing in a drawer. Now in retirement, he has at last seen the book brought out in print. “When Will They Ever Learn?” follows the ups and downs of his probationary year at a school in West Yorkshire.
Coincidentally, its timing has tied in with the school’s 50th anniversary, and The Yorkshire Post used a chapter from the book to mark the anniversary earlier this year.
“I wrote it over 20 years ago, but couldn’t get any of the major publishers to take it,” said Chris, 57, who lives in Priorslee, Telford.
“It gathered dust in a drawer for many years, along with the rejection slips, but finally saw the light of day and got dusted off.”
The book has been published by UPSO, a “publishing solutions” outfit which uses digital technology to help authors get their books into print.
Mr Walsh says everything in the book is true, although in one or two cases he has altered the time scale. Surnames have been changed “to protect the innocent”, although many Christian names are real-life.
Born in Wolverhampton, his family moved to Donnington when he was about 18 months old, and he was a pupil at Adams’ Grammar School in Newport.
Leaving school in 1967, he first became a trainee manager for Sainsbury’s, and then a book-keeper at a firm of solicitors, and then a sales assistant and van driver for a farmers’ merchants before being accepted for teacher training.
His first post was at Colne Valley High School in West Yorkshire where, from August 1972, he taught biology and general science.
“Everything was new,” he said. “It was a part of the country I’d never even visited before, let alone lived and worked in. Doing a job I was unaccustomed to, sharing a house with people I’d not known before and meeting a new girl, all contributed to the seemingly kaleidoscopic nature of my life at this time.
“The scenic beauty of the area and the friendliness of its people gave the whole experience a special resonance which lives with me still.”
His first lesson with his form, 1H (”nice kids”), was memorable.
“In those days we did what was called Nuffield Science, a practically-based science course. I kicked off with an exhibition with living things, non-living things, and dead things. One of the living things there was a cockerel who was duly christened Fred. The lesson was punctuated right on cue by Fred bursting forth with cock-a-doodle-doos, which disrupted proceedings.
“A later lesson was with form 3L, who were not well behaved. They were a third form of considerable ill repute and proceeded to take me apart in good measure.”
A different sort of trouble was to be had with a class of fourth form girls during a lesson about blood circulation which involved taking temperatures and pulses.
“The mistake I made was that I thought it would be more interesting for them if I could give them stethoscopes so they could listen to their heart rate.”
Unfortunately a lab technician bringing more stethoscopes volunteered the advice that to be used properly they should be placed against bare skin, which encouraged the more forward of the class to take the opportunity of embarrassing their young male teacher and seek his “help”.
Mr Walsh was at the school for about 18 months before his career took a new direction. He did 10 years with Shropshire Careers Service specialising in working with children with special educational needs, and in 1985 moved to the post of school leavers adviser with the Royal National Institute for the Blind’s Condover Hall School. Later he joined Sandwell’s learning difficulties and disabilities team. He retired last Christmas.
Chris has now started work on a follow-up book, which will be both a prequel and a sequel, called The Future’s Not Ours To See, although whether it comes to fruition will depend on the success of the first book.
- When Will They Ever Learn? is softback, 225 pages, and is published by UPSO. In a special link-up with the Shropshire Star it can be ordered through us for £8.99 plus £2.95 p&p.
- Contact: Editorial Support Department, Shropshire Star Book Club, Ketley, Telford, Shropshire TF1 5HU.
- Office hours telephone (01952) 241459 or 241496 before 4pm
- fax 01952 254605
- email editorialsupport@shropshirestar.co.uk
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