Mr Archer

Mr Archer, English

Mr Kevin Archer joined the school in September 2008 to teach Upper School English.

Here is a magazine extract from a Year Eleven student when given the task of writing about Mr Archer after a class press-conference.

Year 11 still mourning Mrs Cribb’s departure and in strolls Mr Archer - his first gruelling lesson on ‘respect, and do what you like’ - pretty simple rule, but there’s more! Read on.   We all know the phrase ‘those who can do - those who can't teach’, but this isn’t the case with English! Being good at languages, Mr Archer took them onto higher education eventually ending up with a degree in English. Originally from Kent, Uni brought him to Leeds in 1974 and in 1978 he started teaching - 30 years later he would step into his first BCS lesson. 

He decided he would become a teacher when his PE teacher, who was an Ex-England football player, became his English teacher. His philosophy on life is still ‘English is the best’ and, were he to teach another subject, he ‘would probably give it up’ because no other subject allows you to express yourself in the same way. 

His mind was not always toward teaching, and he has also co-presented a christian radio show on Radio Leeds and worked at Radio Aire. 

When he’s out of the classroom his hobbies range from watching rugby and football to making podcasts and building websites…for school. As we would expect any English teacher to, he loves reading fiction, non-fiction and poetry - when he has the time! He knows how he can have more time…set less homework! 

Why come to BCS when you’ve got a great job at BGS? Before coming to work at BCS, he’d taught at six other schools, most recently Bradford Grammar. He had hoped to finish his career in this ‘comfortable environment with nice people’,  but God had other plans! God showed him the new challenge of BCS, and he was excited about the open door so took it with open arms.

So, what are his impressions of us? After the first week, despite not having all the gizmos of his old school, he gave us a 10/10, commenting that he was ‘impressed with the brilliant vision’ and the joy of starting the term with a worship time. Let’s hope he will continue with his thought that the more he ‘teaches, the more he realizes the enjoyment’ while teaching us over the next few years!

Web Links

• IDAIS - my personal study-support website for English students

Category: The Staff

Author: Mr Archer & Dan L