The teacher who made a positive impact on me was in 3rd year aged thirteen at secondary school. Mr Westfield was the metal work teacher at the time and gave me my first taste of racing go-karts which we had to build from scratch and then race competitively against other schools. Mr Westfield taught me how important it was to use maths and physics when we were making the go-karts. Until I took up karting, physics and math’s were subjects that did not make much sense to me. He also taught me discipline and patience’s – that we could not race the go-karts on the race track until the go-karts were checked at least three times – making sure the go-kart was road worthy to race against other go-karts..
At the race track Mr Westfield taught us that we had to work as a team to sort out problems if the go-kart had problems during the race track, we had to share the responsibility of making sure that go-kart finished the race. Above all, Mr Westfield, made sure we all had fun at the race track – win or lose.
Today, he probably has no idea that I manage my two nephews with their karting and the skills that he taught me I can now pass on to them.
I think a teacher worries a lot after a student leaves a classroom. They think about the uncertain future of their young pupils, hoping that they have taught them something that will stick with them through the summer break so their next teacher doesn't have to go all over it again. They think of the students that have gone before, the ones they've seen succeed, ones who have been less fortunate, and the many they never hear from again. Where are they? What are they doing? Are they happy?
Mr Westfield was a great teacher, one who had a lasting and positive impact on my life, I wish now that I could let him know. If I could look him up or email, I would thank him for his role in my life.