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Staff Profile: Miss Freedman
Name: Miss Freedman
Role: Teacher
Subject: English
Favourite Book:
It’s hard to choose a true favourite, but three recent reads spring to mind:
1. Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
2. The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
3. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
Favourite Film:
Again, it’s really hard to choose just one, but I have a few films that I watch on repeat for different moods:
1. The Princess and The Frog – when I just want something feelgood (and some amazing tunes).
2. Jurassic Park – I tend to rewatch this at least once a year. It’s just a fantastic piece of cinema!
3. 27 Dresses – another feelgood. I suppose I just like films that give me a mental break.
Hobbies:
I am a self-proclaimed geek and have very few hobbies that stray far from the study of English: I have a book club with my friends and even read academic literature to keep my brain ticking (though I don’t always have the energy for it). When I’m feeling a bit more chilled, I also love to go to new foodie locations in London and enjoy delicious small plate concoctions.
Favourite Food:
PASTA. I think if I was given an unlimited amount, I just wouldn’t stop eating it. Not too long ago, I batch cooked some spag-bol in a huge quantity and ate it for 7 days straight. I could have kept going but stopped for fear of scurvy if I didn’t eat some vegetables…
Favourite Holiday destination:
Italy! See the above section on pasta.
If you did not work in a school what job would you like to do?
I have actually had experience in a couple of different jobs: at a literary agency, in advertising and I even worked for BBC Radio 2 for a while. In all of these jobs I found myself missing studying and an academic environment a lot, and realized that what I truly loved was being in education. So, to answer your question, I think I would always be in a school, really!
What is the most challenging thing you have achieved?
My dissertation! In fact, my university degree as a whole. The shift from being top of my English class to being somewhere in the middle was a real adjustment for me as I was suddenly thrown into an environment with hundreds of other highflyers. However, with a lot of hard work and a true determination I wound up achieving one of the highest final grades in my cohort – yes, a bit of a brag, but I don’t get to bring it up very often!
It was my hard work at university that helped me to realize the untapped potential that all students have. Truly, I was no better at English than any of my peers at university, but I certainly worked harder than most. Ultimately, all it takes for anyone to succeed is determination and a bit (okay, a lot) of elbow grease.
Why did you decide to work in education?
I mention this above, but essentially I was unhappy in every job that I tried my hand at, and found myself missing studying at university. I undertook some freelance tutoring and realized that it wasn’t university necessarily that I missed, but rather the study of English and the opportunity to be around texts all day. I really should have recognized that I would want to teach sooner, but I’m glad that I tried my hand at other professions. They taught me a lot.
How have you found your first term at Invicta?
Amazing! Exhilarating, exhausting, rewarding. The girls here are such a pleasure and have made me feel so welcome. I am looking forward to all my time to come here.
