Teachers of the fourth dimension

last updated:01 Oct 2009

As schoolchildren ourselves, we always suspected our teachers couldn’t possibly be from Earth. Now we’re on the other side of the desk, we finally know the truth;  teachers are indeed descendants of a race from another world, it’s just that some of us have forgotten exactly which race and which world. We are, of course, Time Lords from the planet Gallifrey.

If you require proof look no further than your classroom, known in Gallifreyan circles as a Tardis (Time And Relative Dimensions In Schools). Contrary to the logic established in Doctor Who, your classroom may in fact appear smaller on the inside than it does on the outside, especially with 30 or more pupils inside it. But otherwise, the two are strikingly alike.

Your Tardis is your starting point for those adventures in space and time with your ‘companions’. The most inspirational Time Lords don’t see their learners as ‘pupils’ or ‘students’. Instead, they put them on more of an equal footing, encouraging them to be participants in the learning process. Your companions will always look up to you but that doesn’t mean you’ll ever look down on them.

This extends to consulting them on where (and when) they want to visit. Whether it’s Pompeii on volcano day for geography, the Globe Theatre of the sixteenth century for English, or the end of the universe for physics, the Tardis can take you all there. It goes without saying that our most famous fellow Time Lord, the Doctor, is a passionate advocate of cross curricular learning. He might not have QTS but he has a PhD in, well, everything.

Naturally, there’s a certain amount of healthy risk-taking involved with these adventures. Your companions won’t know exactly where they’re headed when they step through your Tardis door. The fun part is you might not either. But even if the worst does happen (running into an alien race intent on enslaving humanity might be worth putting in the risk assessment) they will know that as long as they’re with you, they’re in safe hands.

Inevitably, your companions must eventually leave your Tardis. This parting of ways is unavoidably bittersweet. Bitter, because they know you’re going, out of their timetables, possibly forever. Sweet, because everyone remembers their favourite Time Lord.

Whether they’re kindly and avuncular or more like a funny older brother, rainbow-scarved and suede-booted or bespectacled and skinny-suited, a good Time Lord lives in the memory forever.

David Lowbridge, assistant head at Barr Beacon language college in Walsall.

Unpick the teaching style of your favourite fictional teacher. If you are a registered, serving teacher send the first 50 words of your piece to the GTC magazine and we’ll select an article for the next issue.

email: magazine@gtce.org.uk