My background was very unbookish, I wanted to play football and not much else. Then I was taught design by Peter Pickering (Mr. Pickering to me), and it was as though he walked into my head and turned all the lights on. He taught me design from the age of 11 to 18 at a rural comprehensive in north Wales. He was a really brilliant guy – inspiring in the best possible way, not just because he had all sorts of technical expertise and was good at passing it on, but because he encouraged me to think. And to think divergently.
Mr. Pickering, more than anyone else in my life, opened the door to the wonderful and genius world that is design. Because of him, I later studied Industrial Design at the University of Cardiff and pursued a career in education. My aim as an educator is to have the same lasting influence that Mr. Pickering had on me. In 2016, my wife and I decided to move to Dubai. The consistently good weather certainly had its appeal but it was our desire to travel to different parts of the world to experience various cultures and meet new people that led us here. We are now proud to share these experiences with our two highly energized daughters who enjoy their life here in Dubai.
Since qualifying as a teacher ten years ago I have been fortunate enough to work with several well-established, experienced departments that are dedicated to helping students achieve their full potential. I have acquired much experience in that time and my vision for Safa’s Design Technology department is clear. My aim is to celebrate and hone the breadth of soft skills the subject has to offer and to develop open-minded future-ready learners. Skills such as creativity, communication and critical thinking will help students navigate and succeed in an ever-changing work landscape. With equal emphasis on hard and soft skills in the curriculum, students can advance from Safa with a skillset that not only prepares them for success in the current workplace but also gives them the capacity to adapt to a future one.
BSc(Hons) Computer-aided Industrial Design| PGCE
One stand out moment was witnessing students to compete at the world final in Austin, Texas. In Austin, they would compete against thirty nine of the best competing schools in the world, a truly phenomenal feat and an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. F1 in Schools is one of the largest and most successful global STEM programmes in the world and enables students to explore the numerous disciplines that embody Design and Technology. To witness eighteen months of hard work, dedication and persistence come to fruition stands as one of my best moments in teaching.
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