Staff Spotlight: Gen Whiteley, Director of Students 7-12

This month, Harry M (Year 11) shone the spotlight on Mrs Whiteley, Oxley’s Director of Students 7-12.

What got you into teaching?

I found my way into education after starting a textile degree and deciding it wasn’t for me. I decided wanted a career where I got to work with people, I could live anywhere (nationally or internationally), and where there would always be variety in my work life.

What is your best travel story?

As you know from our Service Learning trip to Nepal Harry, I do have a few! But my best stories come from unexpected encounters, or when plans went awry, or when I decided on a whim to join people I just met who were doing something I would never have thought of doing. My advice to everyone is be relaxed about what to expect when you travel. Don’t expect everything to be like it is at home – that’s the exact reason why you are not there! Things will sometimes be unpredictable – a bit dirty, smelly, uncomfortable, unknown or not running to plan. Lean into it (don’t pick up the phone to ask your parents to fix it!), concentrate on the experience, smile at the people around you and enjoy the chance to be a part of something new for you. This creates the best stories and experiences that you will hold dearest when you look back on your travels for stories to share with others.

What is your favourite TV series and why?

Brooklyn99. It never fails to make me laugh and the one liners it in are excellent. When the show was on, the cast were always supporting and promoting each other on Twitter, which made me appreciate the camaraderie you see on screen was also emulated in real life, and that somehow adds to the magic of the show.

What aspect of teaching do you find most rewarding?

My job is great as there is so much variety to it. I get to see students in all aspects of their schooling – in classes, on sporting fields, on excursions and trips and performing on stages, as well interacting with their peers. I love being in the classroom teaching, hearing the perspectives of young people and, just occasionally, managing to change someone’s opinion for the better about Mathematics.

What was North Korea truly like?

I can honestly say it was nothing like any of the other 55 countries I have visited! The Ruling Dynasty of the Kim family has turned themselves into a deity whose legend and stories cannot be questioned. The whole tour was very orchestrated (we were hiking up a hill one day and just happened to come around a corner to find a children’s orchestra rehearsing against an amazing backdrop) and the rhetoric and the North Korean citizens were tightly controlled. There were wide highways with impressive gateways to enter cities but virtually no cars on the roads. There are no streetlights or lights on the outside of buildings. Strangely though, the rollercoasters and rides (yes there was a fun park in Pyongyang) were exactly the same as here.

Have you always loved Maths?

I always liked Maths more than essay writing at school, but I probably have built my love of it the longer I have been teaching and the more I see the students curiosity piqued as they discover new things. I like to build their interest with enthusiasm and knowledge.

What is your favourite takeaway food?

Thai definitely features highly on my UberEats choices. Turkish and Vietnamese are the next in line.

What advice would you give to students at Oxley?

Take chances in your decisions. There will be successes, but sometimes you will fail and sometimes you will make mistakes. These failures and mistakes do not define you. The way you react to them, what you learn about the process and what you learn about yourself, is as important as what you do next. Own it and move on. It’s one moment in time, and you have so many more in front of you to embrace.

If you could change one thing about Oxley what would it be?

I’d move it closer to Paddington so I could set a later alarm.