Jasmine: What made you choose Science?

Ms Ahmed: I’ve always been competitive in my life and I’ve found subjects like English, History and Sociology at school quite easy and I wanted to choose something that was challenging and I felt like I hadn’t done as well as I could have in Science and so that’s the area I chose – in order to challenge myself. I chose Science at A level and then at university and at the end of university I was given the opportunity to work with a local Secondary School and we built kit cars and raced them so that’s what really got me into working with children. I had an amazing time building the kit cars – I think we won one race and lost three – but it was the process of working with children that made me desperately want to be a teacher. I tried engineering in other fields, but teaching was the thing I wanted to come back to, and that was teaching Science.

Jazmine: Do you have any books that you would recommend to certain students, such as Y7’s like ourselves so we could get into a deeper concept of reading books?

Ms Ahmed: That’s a really good question. I read a lot of books which are education related, but I think something that I read recently is a book called ‘Moonshots: Creating a world of Abundance’ by Naveen Jain. Ms Walker will get it in the library for you to read if you like.  Moonshots talks about not just making a difference to yourself, but if you can multiply that effect and make it bigger, then go for it. The gentleman who is talking in the book, talks about his company. He decided he was looking for a medical cure for a small group of people, but he said ‘actually, this is a bigger problem so how can I make it accessible to lots of people? So why don’t we take a ‘moonshot’? Instead of solving a problem for a small number of people, could we make the idea bigger?’ So the idea behind it is about how can you take something small and grow it to impact or help as many people as possible. He actually successfully did that through the building of his company which you can send a sample off to – and I think the sample is of poo or blood!!! – and they analyse it for your gut microbiome and then they can send you supplements to make your gut health better which improves your health so it’s completely changed the script on just going to a doctor and asking them ‘what’s wrong with me’ and then them running tests and then them figuring out what to do, to actually taking responsibility from the comfort of your home and doing something about your health yourself. So I thought that was a really interesting concept.

Jasmine: What’s your favourite topic in Science to teach?

Ms Ahmed: Oh, that’s easy. Jazmine, can you guess which of the three it might be?

Jazmine: Chemistry?

Ok, good guess. What about you, Jasmine?

Jasmine: Biology?

Ms Ahmed: No it’s actually physics! (Lot’s of laughter!) I really love Physics! So, because I have an engineering background and Physics is about how things work, how you make them better. I do really like Biology as well so I have a mixed degree. Some of my degree was working with medical students so I was looking at cadavers, cutting them open, looking at lungs, etc but I like the building part, so for example, we built a prototype for a Rolls-Royce Aero engine and a turbine blade for it, and I’m really curious about Physics and engines and machines. I really love that bit so that’s what I’m passionate about.

Jazmine: You said you like Science, but what is it about Science that led you into Science when you were younger? Is there a certain thing about Science that you admire or is it just like a hobby for you in a way?

Ms Ahmed: You’re asking some great questions! So, I’m Asian and there are certain subjects that are actually considered to be more important culturally and I guess being a doctor or an engineer as a young Asian girl was really important so I can’t honestly say I lead with my heart in the right direction, but I kind of arrived at Science because I wanted to do something medically related and help people so that’s why I feel like I’ve arrived at school in the right role, especially my particular role where I can help, hopefully, Key Stage 3 students across the board, not just whoever’s in my class. So, the thing about Science, Science is about asking questions, collecting data and information, and analysing that, and then doing something about it so essentially that’s what my role is. I think I’ve arrived at the right place, even though I didn’t get there in the right way necessarily.

 

Jasmine: If you weren’t a teacher, what do you think you would be?

Ms Ahmed: I’d be a Formula One Driver, and I’d be number one because I’m really, really competitive. I loved driving kit cars, I love building them and I actually really love driving, so when my dad taught me how to drive, my dad was ex-army, he didn’t even let me get behind the wheel until I’d learnt how to work the engine. I think I had two or three lessons where it was just like, bonnet open, what goes where, how does the alternator work, if you have to fix the car, how would you do it. I mean, I don’t do it now because I might break my nails, (laughter)  but I’d know how to do it. I know how to change a tire, I know how to fix for example, an alternator in a car, or what to do if your radiator is overheating, so, I guess if I didn’t make it in formula one, I’d probably be building something, maybe cars, that would mean I’d be a mechanic though. Oh dear, my aspirations have gone from formula one to mechanic in a heartbeat! I mean, there’s something kind of amazing about that actually; the next generation of people are going to be problem solving in that way. Robots may be building the machines, but you’re going to be the ones that are figuring out, hang on a minute, how do we make them better? How do we, for example if you’re making a car, how do we make the ride smoother, how do we make the battery last longer? Those are problems that AI is not going to be able to answer.

Ms Walker: You’ve recently launched reciprocal reading across the school during tutor time so  for our parents, what would you suggest that they can do to support their children in KS3 to improve their reading?

Ms Ahmed: I get asked this question by friends all the time, and they always ask me, ‘Am I doing the right thing with my children?’ and I always say, ‘Are you reading with them?’ because reading increases student vocabulary, and it actually helps students- or children - enjoy reading. There’s actually something really warm and lovely about sitting next to your child and enjoying or sharing a book. So, I was in a cafe the other day and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the book ‘Each, Peach, Pear, Plum’. I think it’s by Janet Ahlberg. I just have the most delicious warm memory of my children sitting next to me and us reading that, and I think that’s what reading is about. It’s about that memory, that positive experience, so that every time you encounter words, or new learning, that’s exactly what you encounter. So that opening of the book is like, well it’s just new possibilities. So, please, please, please, parents, it doesn’t matter what your love of, what your stage is, your enthusiasm or confidence is, open a book with your child/children and even if it’s just discussing the illustrations, or discussing the characters, it’s the best thing we can do to support reading in children.

Jazmine: You said you were competitive as a child, and are a competitive person now, my dad is also a big formula one fan, but what is it about cars that you enjoy so much. Is it a hobby or do you just enjoy it for you?

 

Ms Ahmed: That’s a curious point you’ve picked up on. So there’s 2 reasons for that. First of all I absolutely adored my dad – he’s my superhero in my life so everything about my dad, I kind of followed almost like a little puppy. I was like, what was dad good at? I’m going to be interested in that and there’s an interesting story attached to this. My dad was in the British Army, he built cars, he brought that expertise to the UK when the UK was rebuilding after the second world war and because of that trade he had he was able to secure some very good jobs and I think that having job security was important to him. For me I realised that actually problem solving is a really good skill to have and that’s what engines are about. If something doesn’t work, it’s a problem that needs to be fixed and I think that concept can be applied to life and I believe that teachers, students, leaders, it doesn’t matter what aspect of life you work in, for example if you’re creating a delicious dish but you didn’t get it quite spot on, you’ll be going back and examining the recipe.  Where was it that I could have made it tastier? and that’s the problem you’re solving so problem solving is the bit about engines or cars I enjoy. Also, who doesn’t like the sound of an engine? I can identify whether it’s a Mustang starting up or a Maserati! I could become an Audio Engineer I guess, if I didn’t become a Forumla One driver. Do you know that’s an actual job? You know cars have different sounds from the exhaust and there is somebody who actually tunes them to sound the way they do – that’s an Audio Engineer. It’s so cool isn’t it? Fancy someone does that for a full-time job!

Jasmine: Finally, do you have a favourite car?

Ms Ahmed: I really want an Audi A5 but It’s out of my price range but my absolute dream car would be a Mustang but I’d like a British variety of it because I’m pretty sure it’s an American car but there’s something really classic about a Mustang, the shape of it, the engine, it’s like something that really breathes class. Wow! You guys have gotten right into the depths of me asking these questions.

Ms Ahmed then asked us all a final question: Is there one core memory that fuelled you for life?  Like I was talking about books earlier, or my dad’s love of engines.  Do you have something like that, that’s a precious memory that kind of fuels you on?

Jazmine – yeah for me, me and my dad have a close bond and when I was younger, we would go to this park near our house and I had this bike and he taught me how to ride my favourite bike and that just kind of stays with me and everyday I kind if think of it even when I get upset, that memory will always calm me down. I think about my dad and when he smiles, it makes me happy because I love him and that kind of guards me and keeps me going most of the time.

Ms Ahmed: Oh that’s so lovely – the massive influence just that one thing can have!

Jasmine – I love to read and I just remember the Famous Five books because my mum would always read them to me before I went to bed and if I lose my vision at al,l I just remember that and it makes me want to read more.

Ms Ahmed: That’s lovely. You must have had such wonderful dreams thinking of all those adventures! What about you Ms Walker?

Ms Walker: Again my parents both read to me.  Sadly, they are both gone now but they would read - or sing - to me before I went to bed and as I was quite an anxious child (didn’t like the dark particularly) their voices would bring comfort and reading became very important to me as a child. My parents reading to me, and me seeing my mum read herself particularly, fostered that love of reading in me definitely so I think it’s a very precious memory to have if your parent or parents read to you – or sing. Just having that loving, trusted adult with us as you prepare to go to sleep, as a child, is a very comforting thing so reading is a comfort when you have a good experience of it.

Ms Ahmed: Thank you all for talking to me today.  I think the really curious thing is that we are all interested in each other’s stories and ultimately, that’s what a book is, this interview as it is typed up, becomes our story and every lesson is a story as well, so let’s all keep chasing our stories and sharing them with each other!