The one thing I love about teaching is the creativity you have to have. If you explain something to the students and they dont understand it, you have to find another way of explaining it, and if they still dont understand it you have to find a third way, and keep finding new ways until they all understand it. All the while you also need to understand from the get go that it is not the students who are dumb, but your explanation that just doesnt work. It is such a huge reward when all of them get it.
"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." William Arthur Ward Taken from Stephen Fry's book The Ode Less Travelled
I taught A-level for twenty plus years. I quit in January 2024. I now work for minimum wage. In my last year I was very pleased to have facilitated a student gaining access to Cambridge University to study History. That seemed a sensible conclusion to my career. The job is relentless. Nothing is ever enough. There is always more that I should do. Always room for improvement. Never applauded. I was at the top of the scale in FE, teaching A-level and earning £34k at age 50. (Sixth form pay is much better, and it's the same job if you teach A-levels). I would hope that I will be remembered fondly. Thank you Stephen. Your words matter.
@@Gurra_Gforceexcept teaching is one of the hardest, most underpaid and most important jobs. What do you do? Does it actually help anyone? Or does it just line the pockets of your boss? Why did you take that job? Is it because it was the highest paying option? Teachers (especially those qualified to teach A level) definitely didn’t take the highest paying option, and instead they chose to help others for a ridiculously low wage. That deserves respect.
@@archieeverett4926It does reserve respect. My dad and best friend were/are teachers. You can’t go out with either of them without encountering yet another student who tells them what a difference they made. And both of them made next to nothing, got no thanks, worked for districts and superintendents that were blithering, self absorbed idiots and worked 60+ hour weeks while being paid for 40 and providing 2/3 of their own supplies. The same can also be said of most service provider jobs (working in the fields of disability, retirement homes etc) They are not just jobs.
@77fox524 Absolutely. Thinking about it, so many people I know mention that teacher who's extra interest and encouragement made all the difference even in small ways. I'm sure you are remembered by many.
Several years ago, quite unexpectedly, I realized the person I was speaking to was once one of my high school teachers. I figured he must of had thousands of students and probably wouldn’t remember me so, I didn’t say anything. He had just started teaching when I met him, he was then a Professor at a university. He was a great teacher, tried so very hard to connect and involve us, was passionate about what he believed teaching was. A few days later I wrote to him to thank him for what he had done, to thank him for encouraging me to broaden my love history and for his patience. I told him what I had done with my life, I also gave him specific examples of things he had taught me that I still remember 40 years later. I sent the letter not expecting a response. A few weeks later, I received a letter that I treasure. He told me my letter had bought him to tears, that for a teacher a student is an unfinished book. He recognized my name but assumed I wouldn’t have remembered him so didn’t say anything. They know how the book started but very rarely do they find out if they ever made a difference or if their efforts were appreciated. If you ever get the chance, it’s never too late to say thank you and tell someone that they made a difference and that you are grateful.
I've never had teachers try to help me find inspiration in the topics. Absolutely none of them did. Imagine how stunned I was when I figured out how interested a single human being can be and actually learn by themselves... as long as there is interest/inspiration whatsoever. Today I am into so many things that I have to force myself to slow down and eat something-because, over all my interests, I am simply forgetting about it. If I had found any of that interest during school times... holy moly, I might have been taking my Nobel Prize and said, "No, I don't want that-I want actually nothing but to make things better." Instead, I'm not doing any of that. And YES, interest is the key to every boy's school problems, actually. I mean, those of us who struggle very hard to concentrate-those who've been told they have "ADHD" when they're actually not. As was for me, if I'm honest-and yes, I am struggling to focus because of too much interest in absolutely everything of interest. ;) Holla to the teachers who actually make it and show their pupils and students what's actually so interesting about a specific topic-the best thing so far to reach that, as it seems, is something like "phi" or the golden ratio... if any teacher from the lowest grade on would have told me there is something that spectacular... I would have gone mad on science like no one ever before....i'm not blaming. cuz without all that I wouldn't have found my very unique "mission" in life if you will
Your story is great, bit like my own. I wasn't academic at all at school was left on the vine to wither n die, as us non academic types are by n large when at school . Except for one truly great teacher who taught me how to read in about a month, in 6 1 hour lessons . Along with my Dad he got me put in the top maths class from the bottom class, I was drowning at first and all at sea but my God it went in and stayed . Like you I met him him a few years later after leaving school in 1980 struck up a relationship and once a week I would go round take him shopping and for a pint, when he died in his 90s so many people went to pay respects at his funeral.. A truly great man and teacher without whom I would not have stood a chance in life . As for the other teachers, forgot all em as they only ever concentrated on the brightest and those that shone brightly.
Wow - thank you Mark. About 10 years ago, I looked up an old mathematics professor of mine at the University of Sydney. He was a gentle man, very passionate and a bit quirky. I found him in his office, long hair and poring over a book. I knocked and he looked up and smiled at me. I introduced myself and said that he was my professor in the late 80s and that now, almost 30 years later, I had applied many of his lessons on problem solving over my career, even if not directly related to maths - and just wanted to thank him. The poor guy smiled through his tears and said that in his 35+ years of lecturing, noone had ever thanked him before. It was a special moment and I'm forever grateful to him for his tireless efforts to bring us the joy of pure mathematics, all those years ago. As Mark said in his lovely post - go and thank your old teachers if you can. It will be a special moment for you both. Cheers - Dave
I was a teacher … just retired the summer. Oh the glory days of being able to follow a child’s interests and talents; sadly children are schooled now and not taught in the same way…schooled to pass tests. I will blow my own trumpet … I was a bloody good teacher. Children I’ve taught have kept in touch, friends are now those who used to be their parents … I was forced out by bullying dictators who don’t/can’t allow this way of teaching anymore as we have the mighty OFSTED to answer to; I couldn’t bear the sight of five and six year olds sitting in rows facing the front and copying from the board. I loved my job, loved those “light bulb” moments … and I spent far more hours working than I was actually paid for. Tolerated the vitriol spewed by the press … and watched my pay drop year on year, to see that what was once a valued and respected profession become a focus for all things ill. I don’t know how we turn that back now here in the west, def in the UK. Thank You Stephen for your affirmation of the value of education.
as the son of a teacher I read your comments with great interest but I think we should also remember that the school curriculum was introduced in order to prevent the proliferation of politically inspired subjects such as 'Peace Studies' being introduced by those attempting to indoctrinate rather than educate our children. I wish you a Happy retirement!
@@dickyt1318 there’s no doubt that some structure was needed … but it has gone too far. Never taught peace studies … I started my career at the start of the NC.
Good for you. I'm 66 and was fortunate to have gone to school when it actually taught something. Kids nowadays are at a big disadvantage, and this dumbing-down is no accident as democracies turn into oligarchies, soon to become fascist dictatorships. But ALL is according to GOD's plan, which is guaranteed to work, and makes perfect sense when you know what I know... Elijah has returned, as prophesied, and testifies: I'm a great example of what Mr. Fry speaks of. I had no obvious talents, and in school was far below average in athletic ability. I also have a very poor memory and had trouble remembering even a simple poem - so, no London taxi job for me! I wanted to play the guitar when the Beatles grabbed my ears in the 1960's, but no way was that possible for me, as my mind/finger interface is so very poor. I can sing, but have trouble remembering even song lyrics that I write! But lo and behold if I shouldn't discover that I have been gifted immensely with wisdom and truth discernment...and come to find out, I am a genuine prophet of GOD who has filled this billet on a number of occasions over the millennia! And the Bible's Book of Revelation speaks of me and my current mission. Want to know more? Most of you do not, and that's the biggest difference between myself and most people. But if you do, "Seek and ye shall find"...
It's been said so many times but I could listen to Mr Fry for hours. Most of my teachers seemed to be tired & bored timeservers but my history teacher made the subject live. He filled me with love for the subject and now, at 65 yrs old, I still feel the same. Teachers should be held to much higher standards but the good ones should be paid the same as doctors and lawyers.
What, below minimum wage in this country? The jobs we should protect and treasure the most get paid the least here. However, become a banker with absolutely no worth to society and get paid millions.
@@sarangistudent8614 I don't agree with that, because then you'd just get the chancers, grifters and psychopaths who want to game the system, just like you do in banking. They deserve a decent wage, though. But most of all, they deserve our goddamn respect and admiration.
Let's nip this debate in the bud. We need telephone sanitizers and bankers and teachers equally. That they fail is human nature. That the least noble seem over-valued is also human nature. You would need to overcome a lot of internal turmoil and disquiet to be banker. I couldn't do it, for any sum. I'd rather sanitize phones.
@@wzywg How does anything you have said nip the debate in the bud, or even contribute to it? I respect your personal opinions as being as valid as anyone's' but simply assigning certain tendencies to human nature (without offering anything to support the assertion), does nothing to further the debate on the value of teachers.
I barely passed my GCSE in history, and being an ex-teacher, I know my history teacher, by today's standards, would be sacked for his methods. He would just tell a story, and then, with the aid of a textbook, we wrote about the lesson as homework. However, he instilled a deep love and appreciation of history, to bear much fruit in later years. I have a fond memory of him.
As a retired teacher who tried and tried to help and inspire my students and to make the things I taught interesting and accessible, I'd like to thank Stephen for his lovely words.
@@crusadersofthesea Hi. Given the illiteracy your response reveals - who the hell would think the plural of beta is 'beta's' and not 'betas' - just one example out of several - one can only conclude that either you're right about YOUR teachers, (though it appears I have to remind you that you weren't taught by every teacher in the world), or you were, and are, too stupid and idle to benefit from any attempt to educate you. It's my conclusion that the second of the two alternatives is clearly the correct one. All the very best!
A suggestion to Virgin Radio if you want to really make a difference: You could report on this week’s teacher awards in the same way that you might cover the Oscars or the Brit Awards. Profile the nominees and then interview the winners after the event. This has much more impact than clapping for Stephen Fry (though Stephen is also deserving of frequent applause)
@@jamm1055That’s the problem with modern society. No respect or acknowledgement of the work that keeps things running. Teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, armed forces, volunteers, health support workers, carers, young carers. Society celebrates the wrong type of people because it’s boring to celebrate the people that really make the difference. It’s really no different to what went on in the colosseum. While people were entertained by murder and violence, they weren’t looking at the stuff that really mattered.
I taught for 6 months. When I mentioned to Stephen I was doing this, he said “don’t you find it tiring?” (Emotionally as opposed to physically). I went into facilitation when the teaching job finished, far more fulfilling. Good teachers deserve a medal. And a pay rise!
@@franksullivan1873yes, but ask yourself why. Education has been a political football that individual Ministers have used to make their political mark. Feminism, absence of fathers and economic necessity ie one parent only or two working have broken the necessary support structures that allow teachers to teach rather than parent or guard. Children's reduced attention span. The total overwhelming leftist ideology of academia and the higher education and training of teachers which has also led to good teachers being made very vulnerable. Reduced pay over years, constant distracting monitoring of kids and of teachers leading to reduced status and regard for teachers. The National curriculum and indoctrination, indoctrination, indoctrination.
It's so lovely to hear this. The story of a boy discovering something of his own unique self-worth, and how (as we all know now) it becomes central to the man he is. And yes, good teachers deserve more recognition. These are the people who have such a big influence on shaping our children - our future.
You were so fortunate to be in an education system where the teachers have the time to be able to assess individual strengths. I feel it is important that we don't simply cast aside a child who may be poor in the arts but good at science or vice versa. While arguably streaming children at too young an age would also be damaging, we have to somehow recognise that not everyone is the same.
Don't get me wrong I revere Stephen Fry but let's be real. He repeats himself because he must establish his bone fides -- no need! ... ok to the chorus! ... doesn't always happen. Stephen you have no idea of the paucity of the current state of affairs in Great Britain, Canada and the US re; school system, or perhaps you do. Keep on speaking out but there is an immeasurable gap between you and the system you decry and with great respect you would be the 1st to admit it.
He repeats where he comes from to avoid the confusion that he came from a poor family, he reminds us that he came from privilege. He was sent to a boarding school, where he can focus on his studies, where you can get boundless education if you want to, where you can get a Greek and Latin teacher at your behest, and spend a whole years of your average man's wage.
Speaking for myself I went to a privileged school (no boys to distract one) but my Dad my best friend was born in 1908 in what was then Serbia in conditions that were pre-industrial. He was a remarkable person, fought in the resistance during WW2 got shot in the back getting someone to safety and a brilliant man came to Canada, spent a year in the Yukon redid his exams as an architect and civil engineer was always interested in preseving the envionment and made money by accident. I don't think he ever gave a damn about material gain. But with a friend was early on responsible for the formation of the Canadian Institute for International Affairs. An idealist, he succumbed to dementia in his '80s and would be saddened by the chaos in the world.today. Tx for your thoughtful comment much appreciated. I have a friend with dyslesia who was luckily streamed into a program which made the best of her many strengths and I wish that were possible for all children.
@@Pbdave1092 Exactly! I don't find anything bad in this practice of his, given how the majority of people do not necessarily have to be aware of his background. As a matter of fact I sometimes feel that we're heading for an era, where you'll have to repeat the same facts within a single interview because modern humans attention span was trained on watching TikTok videos and not by reading Homer like Stephen did.
I wish we’d still had the option of learning Latin and Ancient Greek at school. I would have loved that. My favourite subjects were English and French because they were “codes” to be solved just like Stephen says. I also taught myself webcoding (this was the early 90s) and made up my own coded language which I wrote all my journals in. I read and wrote stories obsessively. I was useless at PE and labelled stupid and slow by some of my teachers (not my English or my French teachers who gave me higher level work than the other kids). Other teachers thought I was slow because when I was called on to answer a question I couldn’t process the question fast enough (auditory processing difficulties). Turns out I am autistic and have ADHD. Now I’m a technical writer. I remember thinking as a kid that the fact the teachers called me useless was a reflection of who they were and nothing to do with me. I don’t know where I got that defiance from. Because if I’d believed them I probably would have never have graduated from my undergraduate degree with a First or got a Distinction in my Masters.
I did ten years of French and Latin at school half a century ago, and am now a subfluent French speaker with intermediate Spanish and German, and can read a newspaper in Italian, Portuguese, Romanian etc.
Sadly we're trying to remove a good chunk of Ancient Greek from the Greek Schools' curriculum. What is even more mind-blowing is that an interest in the subject is labelled as nationalist by certain not-so-secret cabals.
Congratulations I was diagnosed very late in adulthood with the dual diagnosis of ASD and combined ADHD but at 17 I was put On SSRI antidepressants for Anxiety and Depression which happened to be a result of me being Neurodiverse and suffering an entire life of bullying. Now I’m 42 currently on government assistance and trying to spin opportunities in community theatre into paid work in the future. Despite my disabilities also have a complex mathematic and spatial disabilities I also have CPTSD as well but I have a string of Tertiary Education Qualifications BA in Humanities, Certificates 3 in Information Technology Data Systems, Certificate 3 in Business Administration and Certificate 3 and 4 in Fitness but I let my registration lapse. Since my diagnosis and Covid I haven’t worked.
I see Stephen as a philosopher rather than an actor or presenter. His skill is to demonstrate not how brilliant he is but how entertaining information can be. Good teachers don't indoctrinate or politicise, they actually encourage thought and thought exercises. As a child I hated geography, but enjoyed the lesson because the teacher would challenge you to engage in discussion and debate about all kinds of things... That is teaching...
That is quite accurate, if you remember that philosophy literally mean "love of knowledge". Philo (love) is often used at the end of words -philia. And sophy can also be found in words like sophistry. Fry does seem to be in love with finding out new things and gaining knowledge.
Thank you for showcasing The Amazing MR Fry. I always delight in his humble nature, his truthful vulnerability. His kindheartedness. It’s so lacking in this era. I’m 70. I cherish Mr Fry’s qualities and how he diligently worked at his struggles to have a better quality personal life. He then travels to honor and empower others. How I applaud him. 🎉🎉🎉
Love Stephen, what a character. Despite his fame, he was genuinely touched by the round of applause he got from the crew. Sadly, I'm 63 and still haven't found out what I'm good at... or even like. Still lost.
Hello mate, Actually I think it applies to most of us , the saying " we are all good at something" isn't true ,but some people are , love yourself a little bit more and realise that getting to 63 is something you are good at ,being content and relaxed is a lot to be happy about, good luck man.
When I listen to you Stephen I do wish I had tried harder at my lessons and improved myself,I am 83 now and it's too late,but hope the young listen to you.
The value of a really good teacher is immense - good teachers can be absolutely crucial for shaping the paths of life and feeling of self worth, of their students.
I always wish I'd had a chance to let my English teacher know what an influence he'd been on me, but I didn't realise until years after he'd died. I was asked one day at work to compose a letter to a difficult customer because I had "a very precise and clear way with words." I said "we had to have with our teacher" and I realised that what I'd regarded at the time as a pedantic fussiness was actually a deep respect and understanding of the language and the ability to instil the same in a bunch of surly teenagers without us even knowing.
The sad thing is that most of us maybe have 1 good teacher in our entire schooling. When you think that we are taught by around 40-50 that's not a great ratio. If only one engineer in 50 could build a bridge that stood would we be praising them?
I think we need to change perspective on people as well. for example those who disagree with. we should accept where may not agree. and look for areas they do. but that only comes after time of knowing someone. because for all you know your grabbing stick by wrong handle. thinking that both common ground where don't.
My only complaint about Stephen Fry is that there’s only one of him. Such a wise, witty, thoughtful person who carries the torch for the Enlightenment in our time.
As a misfit in my primary years I was called stupid for 8 years and this was not discouraged by the nuns when the other children copied them. I found out in my 40's that I was dyslexic. I taught myself to read by closely examining the shape of each letter and because I was damned well not going to fail. It took me more than 2 years. The damage to oneself is permanent at that age and self confidence deeply dented. Sharp wit was my answer. I could never understand why they then thought I was stupid if I could make quick comebacks. Nuns make horrible teachers and I bet very few of them were on the list of prize winners.
I have something of the same thing. I'm a childhood mass murder survivor. I have a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Because I was able to develop my wit, it worked terribly against me. I needed to be understood and helped, not shoved aside as a bum.
I had a great headmaster, that decades later my school mates and I, acknowledged for being so impactful on our different lives. impactful in a positive way. I remember 2 things that he said that hit me. The first was the definition of "empathy". The second was how the word "business" is constructed from "Busy Ness". With "empathy" you can have relations and you can negotiate deals. With "business" you understand that you have to work at things. Pretty well everyday I consider those ideas. I am sad to say that this man died from dementia. Life took away that keen mind.
There was a teacher once who jumped up on top of his desk in front of all the students and asked them why he did that? One student at the back of the class shouted out "because you're a nutter, sir". The whole classroom laughed. The teacher looked down at one of the students in the front row and said how does it make you feel seeing me tower above you, does it make you feel small? Yes, the student replied. When you feel small, do you feel more or less confident? Less confident, sir. When you feel less confident, do you feel like you can pass your exams next month? No, sir. When you feel less confident, and small, and that you'll fail your exams, do your dreams seem more obtainable or less obtainable? Less, sir. The teacher then jumped down off of his desk and instructed the student to climb on top of his desk, and the teacher took his place in his students' seat. How do you feel now? Do you feel big and powerful up there? Yes, sir. When you feel big, and powerful, do you feel more confident or less confident? More confident, sir. How do you feel about your exams now that you're confident, do you think you'll pass? Yes, sir. What about your dreams, are they more obtainable or less obtainable? More obtainable, sir. The teacher thanked the student and instructed him to go back to his seat. The teacher stood in front of the class and asked what happened? The same student at the back of the class shouted out 'you brainwashed him sir'. The class laughed. What you've learned today is being able to view the world from a different perspective. How your perceptions of things can change your attitude, how you treat them, how you treat yourself. Take a moment to detach yourself from the situation and look at it from a distance. Imagine what's happening on the other side, and don't be so quick to judge. See you all tomorrow.
Teachers have always been undervalued by society, as Stephen says. It's a crying shame, because they are single-handedly responsible for the futures of many children. A good teacher is hard to come by, but a teacher who instils great values and can work how best to get through to kids is hard to come by. I can name only 1 or 2 teachers in my life who were supportive and patient, who were tough when they needed to be, but most of all cared. It's difficult for a teacher to care when the salary is shit, the attitudes of the parents are shit, and the workload is shit. Not to mention kids are a breeding ground for germs and viruses, so often teachers get sick repeatedly. Meanwhile we pay millions to watch grown men kick inflatable balls around on a pitch to keep us entertained and free from boredom. Society is fucked in that regard.
I take some comfort from that. As a teacher I often feel I'm achieving nothing. I navigate children through a marking matrix so that credits can be accumulated as that's how they're increasingly 'measured'. It seldom feels like I'm educating anybody. But all that aside, I do take their wellbeing seriously. I relate others' children to my own and am guided by doing for them as I would like done for my own. And, coming back to Mr Fry's comments, I make sure they all know that they have strengths. Some are undiscovered but they're there. If you can do nothing else you can at least make the kids feel good about themselves.
My daughter went to vocational education in her twenties. It was adult aducation. One day, during English (as a foreign language) lessons, she had a question for the teacher, and her classmates said: “Do we have to know this for our exam?” “No”, she said. “Well, why did you ask then?” She replied: “Because I was interested.” They walked away shaking their heads, because you don’t ask things because you’re interested, only because it’s in the curriculum.
School was pushing too much towards learning for tests in Australia back in my time I’m a child of the 80s it’s a shame because I think it numbed some of my enthusiasm for learning
I have a Philosophy PhD and have infinitely more respect for electricians, mechanics, plumbers, carpenters etc than I do for e.g. Gender Studies undergraduates, because of their superior grasp of applied logic.
As a carpenter, I’m currently going through a career change since the trade simply isn’t worth it. Pay is poor, work is too hard for what you get back, constantly fighting to get paid… I encourage anyone who is considering a career the construction industry to rethink.
You are aware that people who study things like gender or philosophy are actually driving humanity into higher grounds of thought and understanding of the human condition, right? They're ADVANCING us as a species, while plumbers and electricians enable us as a species to advance. We're literally all in this together. It's not a goddamn competition. I'm frankly shocked that someone who claims to have a PhD in philosophy never grasped that.
I am a plasterer but I can also do roofing, groundwork, drive plant and aspects of joinery and brick laying. There's plenty of labourers who work hard but need clear instructions. Proper tradesmen are highly intelligent. We spend every day doing mathematical calculations for measurements and creating solutions to structural or aesthetic problems
@@oliclay1348 Thank you for elaborating my point. Funnily enough, during my PhD studies I divided my week between the unskilled labour of your description - mixing cement, digging holes, stacking things, doing the stuff that allowed the tradesmen to focus on their work - and teaching logic and philosophy to undergraduates.
I was at Grammar School in the late '60s, where the masters still wore gowns and mortar boards and the standard of teaching was incredible. Every boy who attended that school had the absolute best start in life that could be imagined.
I haven't thought about this for years until this video: I couldn't sing, play an instrument, keep rhythm or anything musical at school even though I've always loved music. The music teacher basically wrote me off as useless as a result. Then, one day, we had an actual written test. Never had one before. And I came top. The teacher made a show of how astonished she was when she gave our papers back to us. I just looked at her and shrugged as though I didn't care what she thought. She ever quite knew how to deal with me after that.
A teacher that cares makes all the difference in a child's life. Most countries are now reaping the benefits of constant and systematic destruction of education budgets. So many talented people are being driven away from teaching and the next generation is suffering.
Well said. The terrible thing is teaching is seen as a vocation and good teachers put a huge amount of effort in for the love of it. Management or Government almost always exploits this and dumps on them, pays them appallingly etc. Until they burn out.
@peterrenn6341 Absolutely spot on. This is the reason why the government can't recruit enough teachers and those that they do often end up leaving the profession within 5 years.
it's mostly a women's profession, and they expect most of us will marry and not depend on our salaries to feed/house/clothe our families. Men cannot afford to stay in the profession as the bread winners
Sometimes it’s just the way subjects are taught that’s not right for some children. I once read in an interview with a teacher that one of his pupils was very bad at maths. The teacher knew the boy often helped serve customers at his father’s market stall, so he asked the boy how much change he would give is an article cost say £3.95 and the customer handed over a £10.00 note. The boy had no trouble at all working that out. It was just that sums in school were too abstract so he couldn’t visualise the problem.
It is worth a round of applause this, isn't it? What an extraordinarily wonderful man. Thanks so much to Chris and his team for the interview and to Virgin Radio for sticking it up on YT. Thanks to all. Wonderful.
They already get more than they deserve. Most of them are terrible and they get nothing but praise. Look at the recent strikes. Kids are failing at record rates, COVID was a disaster for schooling and teachers failed at every level and yet we praised them and gave them a raise. Teachers need to be held to a standard. Not just praised for no reason
I admire the way Stephen Fry mentioned the Taxi Drivers and how they were made to feel stupid in school. State Education failed to teach my daughter to read, write and spell. I used Art and Music to make reading fun and not stressful. She has passed her English Exam and was awarded Best Student and Artist in College. Home Education helped her to be self-motivated and determined to succeed in life. There are some good teachers. But sadly there are bad ones too (Bullies). I feel our children deserve a kinder Bespoke Education which promotes what they are good at, not what is expected! I was taught ITA English Twaddle in school here in the UK (England). A backward Alien language that made no sense whatsoever. Thankfully parents got it banned. It's amazing I can spell at all. But I am a warrior. ♥️
As a BP type 1 with a long suffering partner, who sees things a little differently. Listening to this ramble gave my steady, pleasure abundant. Big love from Serbia 🇷🇸.
Sadly many people leave school with the perception of themselves that the education system impresses on them. I'm 64 now and my advice to young people is when you leave school then that's the very start of being able to educate yourself in what you're good at and love. Don't expect it to be given to you, go out and take your own steps to educating yourself in what's going to work for you. It may well be a journey over the first few years finding out what that is, but in many cases it's intrinsically linked to what you love doing in your spare. Don't be frightened of 'not knowing' or feel like you 'might look foolish'. Everyone of us is ignorant in any subject until we seek to educate ourselves about it. The internet can be a wonderful tool for educating ourselves in many things and finding courses that will help us. Don't be frightened of struggling or failing at first either. The route to success is often paved with failures that we make through the learning process.
Stephen Fry's experiences echoed my own. A disaster at sport and bored with much that I was expected to do at school, mainly because I couldn't do things the way that I was expected. However, I was fortunate in my teachers. They saw my strengths, and worked with them. I was already reading and writing when I started school, so I was given a quiet corner to sit and read whilst my peers learned their alphabet. By the time those peers were reading their first books, I was being provided with Dickens. I was never forced to do sport, being totally inept, instead I used to spend my time producing display work for the whole school, because I was good at art. This continued into secondary school where I was encouraged to take alternative routes. When it came to 'A' Levels, I was useless and failed, but a teacher training college saw my potential and offered me a place. Ironically, my eventual degree was better than any achieved by my peers who followed the well trodden academic path. That path was never for me, I much preferred exploring the muddy patches at the side of the path, or veering into the near by fields ir woods 😊 I was a teacher for 35 years (before retiring early for health reasons). One of the things that made me angry was the off-hand manner in which my colleagues would dismiss a pupil. Their attitude was, "oh, they can't do my subject, they must be thick!" They were focused upon what pupils couldn't do rather than finding, which I took as my primary role, what they could do. In a way, this backfired upon me. Several on the management team recognised my "ability" to get the best out of the pupils. As a result I waa given the difficult classes, the lower sets, or those pupils who were just falling through the net. It was hard work, but I look back with some pride. Often, the pupils that others had dismissed, were getting higher grades than their peers. I suppose that the fact that I am not neurotypical played a part. I am autistic, though not diagnosed until after I retired. I see the world differently to a neurotypical person, and so was more likely to spot the potential within every pupil. I was not, of course, completely successful, some would slip through the net because they chose to. However, and I include my handful of failures, everyone has something that they can do well if only they get recognised and guided. No one should be dismissed in an off-hand manner.
Bravo Stephen Fry. Our teachers and education are not recognised enough. Good teachers beget good teachers and we need better teaching in today’s world. Especially, I would argue, in history. If people knew more about the appalling mistakes of the past maybe we wouldn’t be so keen to repeat them.
@@NC-ck5oj sadly true I would say. Aren’t we supposed to be enlightened at this time in history? What went wrong? Too much plastic in our systems? Could this be what stops humanity passing beyond the “great filter”?
DO you mean David Attenborough who tells PROVEN LIES in his documentaries and scares children telling them they are all going to die. Sorry if your pushing an agenda and it’s real, it should be able to stand up by itself without lies or misleading statements, TRUTH CAN AND ALWAYS WILL STAND ON ITS OWN. Is that the man you mean.
I went to a sink school. So bad at had write ups in the Evening Standard. But a had brilliant history teachers who taught me the value of curiosity and learning. And from there you can teach yourself and I have taken that with me through my whole life and it has opened so many doors
I rather like the Irish tradition of choosing artists, poets and cultural figures to be their President. Well, in that spirit I nominate Stephen Fry to be President of Britain.
What Fry said about London taxi drivers, an even more impressive example would be the New York tour guide we knew as Eddie taking us by coach around the major attractions of the city, and being able to deliver a lot of interesting anecdotes about those locations. He didn't even do the driving, someone else did, but the amount of concentration he must've needed to be aware of his whereabouts and be able to deliver the right information must've taken weeks of practice! It took a lot out of him as well, as he was constantly looking around out of the coach windows, and even told a couple of our tour group to please keep quiet as they were talking and most likely distracting him. At least a couple of times, we even got off the coach to have a look at major landmarks like Grand Central Terminal and the former Ground Zero (this was in 2012). I wonder how much he got paid for that job?
Very astute as completing the knowledge gave me the confidence to complete a degree and then become a teacher. The best teachers aren't necessarily those that succeed in education first time.
I had a teacher at college who was profoundly deaf, he was one of the best public speakers and one of the most gifted teachers I ever had the pleasure to learn from, he was and inspiration.
Mr Fry is so correct, we never give teachers the respect for the responsibility of expanding the children’s minds. . . But of course governments do not want an educated population because we would ask to many questions. . Give them football, gambling and beer . .
Let’s not forget; for all those marvellous teachers who inspire and deserve awards there are those who can shatter a child’s self confidence in seconds. My son left secondary education at 16 with no decent GCSE’s. Not because he wasn’t intelligent but because he was lost in the system of a massive Comprehensive and bullied by his peers. One particular teacher told him that he could forget any idea of his ‘dream job’ because it was never going to happen. 6 years after leaving, he had a light bulb moment and decided to try for it anyway as he said (quote) “I don’t want to be looking back in 40yrs😅 wishing what might have been .” After his day job, he self studied for 2 years, passed 18 exams for Civil Aviation Authority and I sacrificed my job, took early retirement to give him the money for flight school . He qualified as a Commercial Pilot, all 1st time passes and with grades in the top 5% of the Country ! He’s been a pilot for 16years.
I so so love that point Stephen makes about how people are amazed at his cleverness but its the fact that he's just interested in certain things which sound so clever and other people have interests in other things, in his example football. However there's no doubt Stephen is incredibly clever but still, its a lovely self deprecating and very kind way to explain it and bring all the rest of us in on his journey, sharing knowledge and empowering others. What a wonderful man he is.
Fry is describing the perfect teacher. My sense is that there are only, a very few who fit into that description. Also I’d prefer it if Evans didn’t wear a hat indoors.
I'm totally with you on the hat thing. Especially in a restaurant or somewhere like that. I've seen people my age do it, who should know better. When my son was a teenager, he would come into our house with some of his pals, who were wearing hats, which were quickly removed for them. Don't need a hat indoors...
I was always called intelligent, but also heard at every parents' evening "she's great in class, but doesn't do well in exams", and I got told repeatedly that I didn't revise enough. Turns out, I'm dyspraxic too and just couldn't keep the information in my head. Only two teachers in seven years put two and two together and taught me differently - they're the only two classes I got an A in. Stephen's right; basing intelligence, or ability, on a "one size fits all" system is such bullshit. There are some fiercely intelligent people out there who go through school thinking they're idiots, and some idiots who think they're intelligent just because they exam well. And it's the former who get left behind. It's ridiculous.
I met Stephen Fry in Hatchards Piccadilly years ago, I have a NE accent and he was so quick, he said "you are not from round here are you"!! he was a lovely man, huge and gave off a wonderful energy!!
Brilliant. In a better society than any that we have on the face of the earth today, a teacher - primary, secondary, post-school, undergraduate, graduate, you name it - should be the highest paid and greatest respected in society, ranked above all others.
I remember reading a newspaper or magazine article comparing the costs of sending a child to Eton College to the costs involved in sending a youth to a Young Offenders Institution. Eton was cheaper !
Growing up in West Yorkshire in the 1950s/60s, it was common for parents of that era to regard some children as 'brain boxes' and, basically believed what had been passed on to them and their children. Come to the infamous 11+ exam, which scared to death many sensitive children (often burdened under the element of water!) did not even bother to complete the test, as they emotionally pondered the gravitas of the event, the intense responsibility of passing the exam, to have a greater opportunity to go on to higher education. I was one such person, who ventured out into the world at age 20, worked my way through various activities in employment, (first by using my voice), and later found myself to be a true asset to the medical profession, working with the most eminent physicians in the world, writing and reading, studying, learning, and moving into a profession myself - without an 11+ or high school education in Britain. I teach others to find their talents, skills, and loves, their gift of contribution, and to know and understand that we all have a place in this world and each is brilliant in some way and has something that our fellows require and need of us and services both us and them.
Here teachers finally get respect, without good education the whole of society collapses. Which is actually slowly happening. Politicians see it as an expensive expense.
Stephen Fry, is a Philhellene. Stephen Fry wrote “How can we British be proud until we sit down with Greek politicians and arrange for the return of their treasure? It would be a dignified, but a thrilling celebration if the Prime Minister or his Deputy had the grace and guts to make this gesture, perhaps at the opening of London 2012 and then following it up in Athens with a full reinstallation, it will achieve many things. What greater gesture could be made to Greece in its time of appalling financial distress? An act of friendship, atonement and an expression of faith in the future of the cradle of democracy would be so, well just so damned classy.” A heartfelt thank you to the wonderful Stephen Fry! Your genuine and thoughtful words will forever resonate in the hearts of the people of Greece. Britain must pay for their military bases, and then be forced to give them back to the Greeks Cypriots? (as its an utter disgrace that Britain managed to still have land on Cyprus). The trustees of the British Museum have become the world’s largest receivers of stolen property, and the great majority of their loot is not even on public display. The U.K. cannot right historical wrongs - but can no longer, without shame, profit from them. EU countries are concerned about the illegal trade of artefacts through London auction houses. Let's get it straight...Elgin STOLE them, they are NOT the Elgin Marbles. The sculptures held captive in the British Museum are the PARTHENON Marbles. You cannot change the past, what's done is done. But you CAN do something about the future, You CAN change the present. Do what's right. Return the PARTHENON sculptures to their rightful home, Return the PARTHENON Sculptures to Greece. Reunite Them! “BRING THEM BACK!” Thousands of pieces of Greek antiquities are hosted in the British Museum. Our campaign does not ask for the return of those. We ask for the return of the Parthenon sculptures in Greece and the Reunification of the Monument. We, the users of the Internet obtain power and we are able to mobilize the international public opinion. Our goal can be achieved this way. Do you believe this is fair? If yes, help this goal come true. Say your own “BRING THEM BACK!” www.bringthemback.org/www.bringthemback.org/www.bringthemback.org/www.bringthemback.org/ Repatriation now will right a historical wrong and will honour those hundreds of thousands of my fellow countrymen who selflessly gave up their families and lives to be at your side when the Axis military tide was against you. We paid in blood to support Britain and its citizens, Prime Minister: for our country we now ask for a signature by you and your cabinet to return the Parthenon Sculptures to Athens where they belong. If Britain could give back India, then surely the emptying of one room of a London museum is a small price to pay to right a historical wrong. It would also be a way to say thank you to those hundreds of thousands of Greeks who willingly traded their families and future for a simple cross in a dusty cemetery in order to stand by you in your own darkest hour. Robin Williams Was A Philhellene. His Words On Greece. To many he was an icon, an all-around inspiration to everyone. Back in 2011, Williams gave an interview to Greek TV host George Satsidis while promoting the animated feature “Happy Feet 2,” to which he lent his voice. During the interview, Williams had expressed his appreciation for Greece and touched us all. “Greek History is something all mankind must, must bow to” - I know you’ve visited Greece. What do you think? I have come for a holiday with a boat and we went to all the islands. Facing them you say: “I can not believe that here is recounted everything we read in Greek mythology.” Greek History is something all mankind must, must bow to. Maybe your economy goes to hell, but that does not mean you’re helpless. Economic data is constantly changing in Europe and America for all. What is not changing is the legacy, your identity. The Parthenon does not leave Athens. It’s there to remind you that progress and prosperity may return. I am now in England, for example, I went nowhere. I’m here to promote the movie and I will leave. What to see, Buckingham Palace? I do not care. As when I go to Germany, I’m not interested in the Berlin Wall, which is not a symbol of prosperity, but the opposite. But you can not ignore Delos, the Parthenon and Mycenae! Thank you Robin Williams. You will be missed.
Very powerfully and beautifully expressed by Stephen Fry. I had tears in my eyes towards the end. Sometimes people are wrongly judged and cast out because of their background or abilities. I wouldn't say I was a misfit exactly but very few actually saw the real potential in me growing up. It's so erroneous to gauge someone's academic excellence as the only measure of greatness or worthiness. The system is designed for that in schools in some parts of the world (in South Asia for instance). Some people learn while doing some activity or on the job... than merely mugging up bookish information and passing out with flying colours. Greetings from India.
Such literary folk agreed are a dying breed indeed. Tom Baker, Ralph Richardson, Peter Sellers, John Gielgud etc etc ..especially my English teacher at Grammar School 'Reggie Brigden' gawld bless 'im! 💖 Yes.. Long live Stephen Fry esq. and all that are like him keeping the English language alive. 🙏
Imagine if some people had had a teacher like the one Stephen mentioned when they were kids, taking the time to speak to them and bestow some confidence on them, their lives could have turned out so differently.
@MarxistKnight Likewise, I get what you’re saying. However, my counterpoint is basically that you get what you pay for. It's about money. I went to a public high school, and most of the teachers, with the exception of one or two genuinely pleasant ones, were aholez.
Top marks to Chris Evans for having minimal input and just letting Stephen Fry talk. So many hosts want to make it all bout them rather than their guests. SF is a special person and we should all have the opportunity to hear what he has to say.
I like your enthusiasm for the origin of words. It's like a huge puzzle. I was raised in the UK but now live in the Netherlands. I remember at the start of my journey to learning Dutch that I was told that the Dutch word for rucksack is rugzak. Now you can see how those two words are similar but this is the bit that got me. In Dutch rug means back and zak means bag. Put those together and suddenly it's a very descriptive word. But how did English end up with such a similar word but have ruck where Dutch has rug? To me it suggested a previous collaboration between the languages even if ruck does have some forgotten meaning not related to a count of people, rugby, or a messed up piece of cloth.
If you look at the second official language of the Netherlands. Which is way older then Dutch it shares even more similarities with the English language.
@@rubenkramer9902 I've seen many overlaps Ruben. The Scottish use kerk for church. Btw what's your take on verstandskiezen? Many years ago a Dutch colleague said it was far standing teeth as they are at the back. I argued the origin is more likely to do with knowledge or understanding. He changed his mind 🙂
Thank you (yet again) Mr Fry. Oh, the importance of good teaching and the recognition that everyone has ability and value to be nurtured! I was fortunate to go to what was and is regarded as a very good school. In some things I did very well; in others not so much. For many years I attributed my less than good areas of performance to selective stupidity. That attribution might still be valid I hasten to add, but I also realised that my so called ‘good’ teachers in those subjects never bothered to engage us in the ‘why’ of so many things. Algebra, calculus, logarithms, geometry- math in general - stood out for me in this regard. They were just presented as a sort of fait accompli: “here, learn that”. Why? “Because it’s in the end of term exam.” Yeah, but why do we do this and why algebra? “Just do it boy and stop being obtuse, you idiot. Detention!” And so passed a frustrated couple of years until I could ditch math. Now, I know about the Babylonians solving for unknown quantities and the savant, Al-Khwarizmi, and the applications in computer science, telecommunications, medicine, flight, engineering. But to a small kid none of that was necessarily self evident. Despite that older awareness, I still suck at math, but what I wouldn’t have given for a teacher who started out by posing and answering that simple question, why?
Such a pleasure to listen Stephen Fry. He can make any subject sound interesting and captivate the listener. The old lady though in the green baseball cap seemed a little lost at times.
It's my belief that we all have what I call a "brain filter." It's different for each person, and we have no control over what it catches and what it lets through. I can't remember numbers and arithmetical facts and formulae, for instance. But I remember bits of trivia that I've heard just once, in passing. And I have a facility for making up nonsense lyrics to songs on the spot. These may not be marketable skills, but offshoots of the things our brain filters collect can be useful in the right working context. The best teachers and mentors recognize this and nourish it in young people.
We are all fabulous, unique, and wonderful. Part of our life's journey is to discover that, and wise teachers like Stephen, are like lanterns to light our path and help us on our way. 🙏
![Coheed and Cambria - Searching for Tomorrow [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hDsYGLbmadg/mqdefault.jpg)
The one thing I love about teaching is the creativity you have to have.
If you explain something to the students and they dont understand it, you have to find another way of explaining it, and if they still dont understand it you have to find a third way, and keep finding new ways until they all understand it.
All the while you also need to understand from the get go that it is not the students who are dumb, but your explanation that just doesnt work. It is such a huge reward when all of them get it.
dumb?
Do you mean stupid?
"dumb" pppfftt!
"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires."
William Arthur Ward
Taken from Stephen Fry's book
The Ode Less Travelled
To be made to realize that one is capable!
@@willmpetGrasshopper, when you can take the stone from my hand, then it is time to leave 😊
I taught A-level for twenty plus years. I quit in January 2024. I now work for minimum wage. In my last year I was very pleased to have facilitated a student gaining access to Cambridge University to study History. That seemed a sensible conclusion to my career. The job is relentless. Nothing is ever enough. There is always more that I should do. Always room for improvement. Never applauded. I was at the top of the scale in FE, teaching A-level and earning £34k at age 50. (Sixth form pay is much better, and it's the same job if you teach A-levels). I would hope that I will be remembered fondly. Thank you Stephen. Your words matter.
Never applauded. Thats how it works for most of us, regardless of field of work. Fact of life
@@Gurra_Gforceexcept teaching is one of the hardest, most underpaid and most important jobs. What do you do? Does it actually help anyone? Or does it just line the pockets of your boss? Why did you take that job? Is it because it was the highest paying option? Teachers (especially those qualified to teach A level) definitely didn’t take the highest paying option, and instead they chose to help others for a ridiculously low wage. That deserves respect.
@@archieeverett4926It does reserve respect. My dad and best friend were/are teachers. You can’t go out with either of them without encountering yet another student who tells them what a difference they made.
And both of them made next to nothing, got no thanks, worked for districts and superintendents that were blithering, self absorbed idiots and worked 60+ hour weeks while being paid for 40 and providing 2/3 of their own supplies.
The same can also be said of most service provider jobs (working in the fields of disability, retirement homes etc)
They are not just jobs.
@77fox524 Absolutely. Thinking about it, so many people I know mention that teacher who's extra interest and encouragement made all the difference even in small ways. I'm sure you are remembered by many.
@@BarbzSA Thank you for reading.
Several years ago, quite unexpectedly, I realized the person I was speaking to was once one of my high school teachers. I figured he must of had thousands of students and probably wouldn’t remember me so, I didn’t say anything. He had just started teaching when I met him, he was then a Professor at a university. He was a great teacher, tried so very hard to connect and involve us, was passionate about what he believed teaching was. A few days later I wrote to him to thank him for what he had done, to thank him for encouraging me to broaden my love history and for his patience. I told him what I had done with my life, I also gave him specific examples of things he had taught me that I still remember 40 years later. I sent the letter not expecting a response. A few weeks later, I received a letter that I treasure. He told me my letter had bought him to tears, that for a teacher a student is an unfinished book. He recognized my name but assumed I wouldn’t have remembered him so didn’t say anything. They know how the book started but very rarely do they find out if they ever made a difference or if their efforts were appreciated.
If you ever get the chance, it’s never too late to say thank you and tell someone that they made a difference and that you are grateful.
I've never had teachers try to help me find inspiration in the topics. Absolutely none of them did. Imagine how stunned I was when I figured out how interested a single human being can be and actually learn by themselves... as long as there is interest/inspiration whatsoever. Today I am into so many things that I have to force myself to slow down and eat something-because, over all my interests, I am simply forgetting about it.
If I had found any of that interest during school times... holy moly, I might have been taking my Nobel Prize and said, "No, I don't want that-I want actually nothing but to make things better." Instead, I'm not doing any of that. And YES, interest is the key to every boy's school problems, actually. I mean, those of us who struggle very hard to concentrate-those who've been told they have "ADHD" when they're actually not. As was for me, if I'm honest-and yes, I am struggling to focus because of too much interest in absolutely everything of interest. ;)
Holla to the teachers who actually make it and show their pupils and students what's actually so interesting about a specific topic-the best thing so far to reach that, as it seems, is something like "phi" or the golden ratio... if any teacher from the lowest grade on would have told me there is something that spectacular... I would have gone mad on science like no one ever before....i'm not blaming. cuz without all that I wouldn't have found my very unique "mission" in life if you will
Your story is great, bit like my own. I wasn't academic at all at school was left on the vine to wither n die, as us non academic types are by n large when at school . Except for one truly great teacher who taught me how to read in about a month, in 6 1 hour lessons . Along with my Dad he got me put in the top maths class from the bottom class, I was drowning at first and all at sea but my God it went in and stayed . Like you I met him him a few years later after leaving school in 1980 struck up a relationship and once a week I would go round take him shopping and for a pint, when he died in his 90s so many people went to pay respects at his funeral.. A truly great man and teacher without whom I would not have stood a chance in life . As for the other teachers, forgot all em as they only ever concentrated on the brightest and those that shone brightly.
that's really nice what you said in the original post.. thanks
Wow - thank you Mark. About 10 years ago, I looked up an old mathematics professor of mine at the University of Sydney. He was a gentle man, very passionate and a bit quirky. I found him in his office, long hair and poring over a book. I knocked and he looked up and smiled at me. I introduced myself and said that he was my professor in the late 80s and that now, almost 30 years later, I had applied many of his lessons on problem solving over my career, even if not directly related to maths - and just wanted to thank him. The poor guy smiled through his tears and said that in his 35+ years of lecturing, noone had ever thanked him before. It was a special moment and I'm forever grateful to him for his tireless efforts to bring us the joy of pure mathematics, all those years ago.
As Mark said in his lovely post - go and thank your old teachers if you can. It will be a special moment for you both. Cheers - Dave
So true. And thank your elders before it is too late. It will mean so much to them.
I was a teacher … just retired the summer. Oh the glory days of being able to follow a child’s interests and talents; sadly children are schooled now and not taught in the same way…schooled to pass tests. I will blow my own trumpet … I was a bloody good teacher. Children I’ve taught have kept in touch, friends are now those who used to be their parents … I was forced out by bullying dictators who don’t/can’t allow this way of teaching anymore as we have the mighty OFSTED to answer to; I couldn’t bear the sight of five and six year olds sitting in rows facing the front and copying from the board. I loved my job, loved those “light bulb” moments … and I spent far more hours working than I was actually paid for. Tolerated the vitriol spewed by the press … and watched my pay drop year on year, to see that what was once a valued and respected profession become a focus for all things ill. I don’t know how we turn that back now here in the west, def in the UK. Thank You Stephen for your affirmation of the value of education.
Is homeschooling legal in UK? Or even acceptable?
@@jackdeniston59 yes it’s allowed…it’s a big problem though wrt child protection
as the son of a teacher I read your comments with great interest but I think we should also remember that the school curriculum was introduced in order to prevent the proliferation of politically inspired subjects such as 'Peace Studies' being introduced by those attempting to indoctrinate rather than educate our children. I wish you a Happy retirement!
@@dickyt1318 there’s no doubt that some structure was needed … but it has gone too far. Never taught peace studies … I started my career at the start of the NC.
Good for you. I'm 66 and was fortunate to have gone to school when it actually taught something. Kids nowadays are at a big disadvantage, and this dumbing-down is no accident as democracies turn into oligarchies, soon to become fascist dictatorships. But ALL is according to GOD's plan, which is guaranteed to work, and makes perfect sense when you know what I know...
Elijah has returned, as prophesied, and testifies:
I'm a great example of what Mr. Fry speaks of. I had no obvious talents, and in school was far below average in athletic ability. I also have a very poor memory and had trouble remembering even a simple poem - so, no London taxi job for me! I wanted to play the guitar when the Beatles grabbed my ears in the 1960's, but no way was that possible for me, as my mind/finger interface is so very poor. I can sing, but have trouble remembering even song lyrics that I write! But lo and behold if I shouldn't discover that I have been gifted immensely with wisdom and truth discernment...and come to find out, I am a genuine prophet of GOD who has filled this billet on a number of occasions over the millennia! And the Bible's Book of Revelation speaks of me and my current mission.
Want to know more? Most of you do not, and that's the biggest difference between myself and most people. But if you do, "Seek and ye shall find"...
It's been said so many times but I could listen to Mr Fry for hours.
Most of my teachers seemed to be tired & bored timeservers but my history teacher made the subject live. He filled me with love for the subject and now, at 65 yrs old, I still feel the same. Teachers should be held to much higher standards but the good ones should be paid the same as doctors and lawyers.
What, below minimum wage in this country? The jobs we should protect and treasure the most get paid the least here. However, become a banker with absolutely no worth to society and get paid millions.
@@sarangistudent8614 I don't agree with that, because then you'd just get the chancers, grifters and psychopaths who want to game the system, just like you do in banking.
They deserve a decent wage, though. But most of all, they deserve our goddamn respect and admiration.
Let's nip this debate in the bud. We need telephone sanitizers and bankers and teachers equally. That they fail is human nature. That the least noble seem over-valued is also human nature. You would need to overcome a lot of internal turmoil and disquiet to be banker. I couldn't do it, for any sum. I'd rather sanitize phones.
@@wzywg How does anything you have said nip the debate in the bud, or even contribute to it?
I respect your personal opinions as being as valid as anyone's' but simply assigning certain tendencies to human nature (without offering anything to support the assertion), does nothing to further the debate on the value of teachers.
I barely passed my GCSE in history, and being an ex-teacher, I know my history teacher, by today's standards, would be sacked for his methods. He would just tell a story, and then, with the aid of a textbook, we wrote about the lesson as homework. However, he instilled a deep love and appreciation of history, to bear much fruit in later years. I have a fond memory of him.
As a retired teacher who tried and tried to help and inspire my students and to make the things I taught interesting and accessible, I'd like to thank Stephen for his lovely words.
No one, but no one, can make the kind of literally multi generational difference to families, than an effective and compassionate teacher can!
Such a shame he supports the killings of innocent children.
@@crusadersofthesea Hi. Given the illiteracy your response reveals - who the hell would think the plural of beta is 'beta's' and not 'betas' - just one example out of several - one can only conclude that either you're right about YOUR teachers, (though it appears I have to remind you that you weren't taught by every teacher in the world), or you were, and are, too stupid and idle to benefit from any attempt to educate you.
It's my conclusion that the second of the two alternatives is clearly the correct one. All the very best!
A good teacher who inspires and encourages young minds to meet their potential is more precious than gold.
Thank you for your service o7
A suggestion to Virgin Radio if you want to really make a difference: You could report on this week’s teacher awards in the same way that you might cover the Oscars or the Brit Awards. Profile the nominees and then interview the winners after the event. This has much more impact than clapping for Stephen Fry (though Stephen is also deserving of frequent applause)
Nice idea, but I’d imagine that would be very dull for most and the opposite of what entertainment should be.
@@jamm1055I bet Stephen could figure out a way to make it entertaining - maybe with his friend, Hugh?
I think you're right if QI is anything to go by, indeed it would be fantastic if it was with Hugh.@@Advocate1794
I’d hope it would at least be inspiring to listen to their stories
@@jamm1055That’s the problem with modern society. No respect or acknowledgement of the work that keeps things running. Teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, armed forces, volunteers, health support workers, carers, young carers.
Society celebrates the wrong type of people because it’s boring to celebrate the people that really make the difference. It’s really no different to what went on in the colosseum. While people were entertained by murder and violence, they weren’t looking at the stuff that really mattered.
I taught for 6 months. When I mentioned to Stephen I was doing this, he said “don’t you find it tiring?” (Emotionally as opposed to physically). I went into facilitation when the teaching job finished, far more fulfilling. Good teachers deserve a medal. And a pay rise!
Yes,I agree that good teachers deserve a higher level of pay but we have so many that are bad.
@@franksullivan1873 thank you
@@franksullivan1873yes, but ask yourself why. Education has been a political football that individual Ministers have used to make their political mark. Feminism, absence of fathers and economic necessity ie one parent only or two working have broken the necessary support structures that allow teachers to teach rather than parent or guard. Children's reduced attention span. The total overwhelming leftist ideology of academia and the higher education and training of teachers which has also led to good teachers being made very vulnerable. Reduced pay over years, constant distracting monitoring of kids and of teachers leading to reduced status and regard for teachers. The National curriculum and indoctrination, indoctrination, indoctrination.
It's so lovely to hear this. The story of a boy discovering something of his own unique self-worth, and how (as we all know now) it becomes central to the man he is. And yes, good teachers deserve more recognition. These are the people who have such a big influence on shaping our children - our future.
I'm not sure he cares about children much given he supports what Israel is doing.
@@misc_channelas is his right , like mine
@@misc_channel Were have you heard this ?
❤💫
You were so fortunate to be in an education system where the teachers have the time to be able to assess individual strengths. I feel it is important that we don't simply cast aside a child who may be poor in the arts but good at science or vice versa. While arguably streaming children at too young an age would also be damaging, we have to somehow recognise that not everyone is the same.
Don't get me wrong I revere Stephen Fry but let's be real. He repeats himself because he must establish his bone fides -- no need! ... ok to the chorus! ... doesn't always happen. Stephen you have no idea of the paucity of the current state of affairs in Great Britain, Canada and the US re; school system, or perhaps you do. Keep on speaking out but there is an immeasurable gap between you and the system you decry and with great respect you would be the 1st to admit it.
When i was a dinner lady and children who misbehaved had to do lines i gave a choice of writing tables or copying a poem .
He repeats where he comes from to avoid the confusion that he came from a poor family, he reminds us that he came from privilege. He was sent to a boarding school, where he can focus on his studies, where you can get boundless education if you want to, where you can get a Greek and Latin teacher at your behest, and spend a whole years of your average man's wage.
Speaking for myself I went to a privileged school (no boys to distract one) but my Dad my best friend was born in 1908 in what was then Serbia in conditions that were pre-industrial. He was a remarkable person, fought in the resistance during WW2 got shot in the back getting someone to safety and a brilliant man came to Canada, spent a year in the Yukon redid his exams as an architect and civil engineer was always interested in preseving the envionment and made money by accident. I don't think he ever gave a damn about material gain. But with a friend was early on responsible for the formation of the Canadian Institute for International Affairs. An idealist, he succumbed to dementia in his '80s and would be saddened by the chaos in the world.today. Tx for your thoughtful comment much appreciated. I have a friend with dyslesia who was luckily streamed into a program which made the best of her many strengths and I wish that were possible for all children.
@@Pbdave1092 Exactly! I don't find anything bad in this practice of his, given how the majority of people do not necessarily have to be aware of his background. As a matter of fact I sometimes feel that we're heading for an era, where you'll have to repeat the same facts within a single interview because modern humans attention span was trained on watching TikTok videos and not by reading Homer like Stephen did.
I wish we’d still had the option of learning Latin and Ancient Greek at school. I would have loved that. My favourite subjects were English and French because they were “codes” to be solved just like Stephen says. I also taught myself webcoding (this was the early 90s) and made up my own coded language which I wrote all my journals in. I read and wrote stories obsessively. I was useless at PE and labelled stupid and slow by some of my teachers (not my English or my French teachers who gave me higher level work than the other kids). Other teachers thought I was slow because when I was called on to answer a question I couldn’t process the question fast enough (auditory processing difficulties). Turns out I am autistic and have ADHD. Now I’m a technical writer. I remember thinking as a kid that the fact the teachers called me useless was a reflection of who they were and nothing to do with me. I don’t know where I got that defiance from. Because if I’d believed them I probably would have never have graduated from my undergraduate degree with a First or got a Distinction in my Masters.
I did ten years of French and Latin at school half a century ago, and am now a subfluent French speaker with intermediate Spanish and German, and can read a newspaper in Italian, Portuguese, Romanian etc.
nobody can stop you opening a book for yourself mate :)
Sadly we're trying to remove a good chunk of Ancient Greek from the Greek Schools' curriculum. What is even more mind-blowing is that an interest in the subject is labelled as nationalist by certain not-so-secret cabals.
Congratulations I was diagnosed very late in adulthood with the dual diagnosis of ASD and combined ADHD but at 17 I was put On SSRI antidepressants for Anxiety and Depression which happened to be a result of me being Neurodiverse and suffering an entire life of bullying. Now I’m 42 currently on government assistance and trying to spin opportunities in community theatre into paid work in the future. Despite my disabilities also have a complex mathematic and spatial disabilities I also have CPTSD as well but I have a string of Tertiary Education Qualifications BA in Humanities, Certificates 3 in Information Technology Data Systems, Certificate 3 in Business Administration and Certificate 3 and 4 in Fitness but I let my registration lapse. Since my diagnosis and Covid I haven’t worked.
@@drahcirnevarc9152wow
Thank you, Mr Fry! I can't begin to express the love you inspire. I don't mind admitting that I cried at this
I see Stephen as a philosopher rather than an actor or presenter. His skill is to demonstrate not how brilliant he is but how entertaining information can be.
Good teachers don't indoctrinate or politicise, they actually encourage thought and thought exercises. As a child I hated geography, but enjoyed the lesson because the teacher would challenge you to engage in discussion and debate about all kinds of things... That is teaching...
That is quite accurate, if you remember that philosophy literally mean "love of knowledge". Philo (love) is often used at the end of words -philia. And sophy can also be found in words like sophistry.
Fry does seem to be in love with finding out new things and gaining knowledge.
Thank you for showcasing The Amazing MR Fry. I always delight in his humble nature, his truthful vulnerability. His kindheartedness. It’s so lacking in this era. I’m 70. I cherish Mr Fry’s qualities and how he diligently worked at his struggles to have a better quality personal life. He then travels to honor and empower others. How I applaud him. 🎉🎉🎉
Love Stephen, what a character. Despite his fame, he was genuinely touched by the round of applause he got from the crew.
Sadly, I'm 63 and still haven't found out what I'm good at... or even like. Still lost.
Not all who wander are lost. It’s okay not to know. It’s okay to just ‘be’.
Hello mate,
Actually I think it applies to most of us , the saying " we are all good at something" isn't true ,but some people are , love yourself a little bit more and realise that getting to 63 is something you are good at ,being content and relaxed is a lot to be happy about, good luck man.
Like an Albatross that ain't so bad buddy
Being humble mate .
@capri2673just learning that lesson as a Neurodiverse woman at age 42
Stephen Fry - one of favorite people to listen to, especially when he talks about life and living it. Huge respect for the man.
Snap. Genuinely nice guy and a genius at the same time. I would love to be in his company.
@@TerryMcGearyScotlandStephen Fry is not a genius. Intelligent, yes. Well-read, yes. Funny, yes. But not a genius.
When I listen to you Stephen I do wish I had tried harder at my lessons and improved myself,I am 83 now and it's too late,but hope the young listen to you.
Indeed, fresh breath of air, hearing someone intelligent.
It's a shame he supports the brutality of a certain little far right country in the middle east.
Biggest fan of Stephen Fry always - what a joy to listen to and read his opinions❤
I agree. Stephen is BRILLIANT.🇬🇧😊
🙏💫
The value of a really good teacher is immense - good teachers can be absolutely crucial for shaping the paths of life and feeling of self worth, of their students.
I always wish I'd had a chance to let my English teacher know what an influence he'd been on me, but I didn't realise until years after he'd died. I was asked one day at work to compose a letter to a difficult customer because I had "a very precise and clear way with words."
I said "we had to have with our teacher" and I realised that what I'd regarded at the time as a pedantic fussiness was actually a deep respect and understanding of the language and the ability to instil the same in a bunch of surly teenagers without us even knowing.
The sad thing is that most of us maybe have 1 good teacher in our entire schooling. When you think that we are taught by around 40-50 that's not a great ratio. If only one engineer in 50 could build a bridge that stood would we be praising them?
I think we need to change perspective on people as well. for example those who disagree with. we should accept where may not agree. and look for areas they do. but that only comes after time of knowing someone. because for all you know your grabbing stick by wrong handle. thinking that both common ground where don't.
It ain’t that deep
I've had first-hand experience in the last year of a great teacher ☺️ never thought I'd get the grades I did
Spot on Stephen. A good teacher inspires and is worth ten times more than they currently get paid.
agreed, but not all of them.
Hence a "GOOD" teacher. @@Mclennnan
Remember, Jonathan Gullis was a teacher 🤦🏽
@@sarangistudent8614 Who?
@@sarangistudent8614 Yes. And he was so bad at it, he became a Tory politician.
My only complaint about Stephen Fry is that there’s only one of him. Such a wise, witty, thoughtful person who carries the torch for the Enlightenment in our time.
It's a shame he is a zionist.
Love his intelligence, wit and story telling
As a misfit in my primary years I was called stupid for 8 years and this was not discouraged by the nuns when the other children copied them. I found out in my 40's that I was dyslexic. I taught myself to read by closely examining the shape of each letter and because I was damned well not going to fail. It took me more than 2 years. The damage to oneself is permanent at that age
and self confidence deeply dented. Sharp wit was my answer. I could never understand why they then thought I was stupid if I could make quick comebacks. Nuns make horrible teachers and I bet very few of them were on the list of prize winners.
I have something of the same thing. I'm a childhood mass murder survivor. I have a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Because I was able to develop my wit, it worked terribly against me. I needed to be understood and helped, not shoved aside as a bum.
The only good employers I ever had as a teacher all over the world, for thirty-three years, were nuns.
To me, it`s nice if you never let anyone/system tell you who you are - glad you won out!
I had a great headmaster, that decades later my school mates and I, acknowledged for being so impactful on our different lives. impactful in a positive way. I remember 2 things that he said that hit me. The first was the definition of "empathy". The second was how the word "business" is constructed from "Busy Ness". With "empathy" you can have relations and you can negotiate deals. With "business" you understand that you have to work at things. Pretty well everyday I consider those ideas.
I am sad to say that this man died from dementia. Life took away that keen mind.
There was a teacher once who jumped up on top of his desk in front of all the students and asked them why he did that? One student at the back of the class shouted out "because you're a nutter, sir". The whole classroom laughed. The teacher looked down at one of the students in the front row and said how does it make you feel seeing me tower above you, does it make you feel small? Yes, the student replied. When you feel small, do you feel more or less confident? Less confident, sir. When you feel less confident, do you feel like you can pass your exams next month? No, sir. When you feel less confident, and small, and that you'll fail your exams, do your dreams seem more obtainable or less obtainable? Less, sir. The teacher then jumped down off of his desk and instructed the student to climb on top of his desk, and the teacher took his place in his students' seat. How do you feel now? Do you feel big and powerful up there? Yes, sir. When you feel big, and powerful, do you feel more confident or less confident? More confident, sir. How do you feel about your exams now that you're confident, do you think you'll pass? Yes, sir. What about your dreams, are they more obtainable or less obtainable? More obtainable, sir. The teacher thanked the student and instructed him to go back to his seat. The teacher stood in front of the class and asked what happened? The same student at the back of the class shouted out 'you brainwashed him sir'. The class laughed. What you've learned today is being able to view the world from a different perspective. How your perceptions of things can change your attitude, how you treat them, how you treat yourself. Take a moment to detach yourself from the situation and look at it from a distance. Imagine what's happening on the other side, and don't be so quick to judge. See you all tomorrow.
Teachers have always been undervalued by society, as Stephen says. It's a crying shame, because they are single-handedly responsible for the futures of many children. A good teacher is hard to come by, but a teacher who instils great values and can work how best to get through to kids is hard to come by. I can name only 1 or 2 teachers in my life who were supportive and patient, who were tough when they needed to be, but most of all cared. It's difficult for a teacher to care when the salary is shit, the attitudes of the parents are shit, and the workload is shit. Not to mention kids are a breeding ground for germs and viruses, so often teachers get sick repeatedly. Meanwhile we pay millions to watch grown men kick inflatable balls around on a pitch to keep us entertained and free from boredom. Society is fucked in that regard.
Too long don't care didn't read
@@TheBigMclargehuge The story is probably a little too advanced for you anyway, so don't worry.
I take some comfort from that. As a teacher I often feel I'm achieving nothing. I navigate children through a marking matrix so that credits can be accumulated as that's how they're increasingly 'measured'. It seldom feels like I'm educating anybody. But all that aside, I do take their wellbeing seriously. I relate others' children to my own and am guided by doing for them as I would like done for my own. And, coming back to Mr Fry's comments, I make sure they all know that they have strengths. Some are undiscovered but they're there. If you can do nothing else you can at least make the kids feel good about themselves.
My daughter went to vocational education in her twenties. It was adult aducation. One day, during English (as a foreign language) lessons, she had a question for the teacher, and her classmates said: “Do we have to know this for our exam?” “No”, she said. “Well, why did you ask then?” She replied: “Because I was interested.” They walked away shaking their heads, because you don’t ask things because you’re interested, only because it’s in the curriculum.
School was pushing too much towards learning for tests in Australia back in my time I’m a child of the 80s it’s a shame because I think it numbed some of my enthusiasm for learning
If I could have tea with anyone, it would be Stephen Fry. I'm not clever, but I find him fascinating because he is so intelligent. ❤
I have a Philosophy PhD and have infinitely more respect for electricians, mechanics, plumbers, carpenters etc than I do for e.g. Gender Studies undergraduates, because of their superior grasp of applied logic.
Gender studies is a neo Marxist poison it began hitting the universities in Australia about 30 years ago that I am aware of
As a carpenter, I’m currently going through a career change since the trade simply isn’t worth it.
Pay is poor, work is too hard for what you get back, constantly fighting to get paid…
I encourage anyone who is considering a career the construction industry to rethink.
You are aware that people who study things like gender or philosophy are actually driving humanity into higher grounds of thought and understanding of the human condition, right? They're ADVANCING us as a species, while plumbers and electricians enable us as a species to advance. We're literally all in this together.
It's not a goddamn competition. I'm frankly shocked that someone who claims to have a PhD in philosophy never grasped that.
I am a plasterer but I can also do roofing, groundwork, drive plant and aspects of joinery and brick laying. There's plenty of labourers who work hard but need clear instructions. Proper tradesmen are highly intelligent. We spend every day doing mathematical calculations for measurements and creating solutions to structural or aesthetic problems
@@oliclay1348 Thank you for elaborating my point. Funnily enough, during my PhD studies I divided my week between the unskilled labour of your description - mixing cement, digging holes, stacking things, doing the stuff that allowed the tradesmen to focus on their work - and teaching logic and philosophy to undergraduates.
I was at Grammar School in the late '60s, where the masters still wore gowns and mortar boards and the standard of teaching was incredible. Every boy who attended that school had the absolute best start in life that could be imagined.
And now you're a cartoon character!! Well done.👍
Stephen ticks every box of what everyone admires & enjoys. Such an articulate highly intelligent man. Charming & funny too!!
I could listen to Stephen Fry all day long
Was just going to type the same comment
I get lost listening to him
He’s a fountain of knowledge
100% agree. I'd wager he's the world's most interesting man.
He has several audio books, they are very therapeutic and funny too!
If he stays off the woke shit
@@sandersson2813 hey you stay asleep if you want to.
This is why Stephen Fry is a true Legend!! I love this man ❤
Having this amazing gentleman in our world really makes a difference for me. (Selfishly) a walking talking "library of Alexandria" Love you Stephen! ❤
I haven't thought about this for years until this video: I couldn't sing, play an instrument, keep rhythm or anything musical at school even though I've always loved music. The music teacher basically wrote me off as useless as a result. Then, one day, we had an actual written test. Never had one before. And I came top. The teacher made a show of how astonished she was when she gave our papers back to us. I just looked at her and shrugged as though I didn't care what she thought. She ever quite knew how to deal with me after that.
A teacher that cares makes all the difference in a child's life.
Most countries are now reaping the benefits of constant and systematic destruction of education budgets.
So many talented people are being driven away from teaching and the next generation is suffering.
Thus, authoritarian teachers who even if ambitious, emotionally don't care authoritarianschoolingcouk
having parents who care helps the teachers cope with the ones who dont have loving supportive parents
Well said. The terrible thing is teaching is seen as a vocation and good teachers put a huge amount of effort in for the love of it. Management or Government almost always exploits this and dumps on them, pays them appallingly etc. Until they burn out.
@peterrenn6341 Absolutely spot on. This is the reason why the government can't recruit enough teachers and those that they do often end up leaving the profession within 5 years.
If you dig the best ditches, they give you a bigger shovel.
Much like nursing.
it's mostly a women's profession, and they expect most of us will marry and not depend on our salaries to feed/house/clothe our families. Men cannot afford to stay in the profession as the bread winners
Thank you Stephen Fry! Everybody can teach you something, everybody is good at something.We all need to remember that.
Sometimes it’s just the way subjects are taught that’s not right for some children.
I once read in an interview with a teacher that one of his pupils was very bad at maths. The teacher knew the boy often helped serve customers at his father’s market stall, so he asked the boy how much change he would give is an article cost say £3.95 and the customer handed over a £10.00 note. The boy had no trouble at all working that out. It was just that sums in school were too abstract so he couldn’t visualise the problem.
It is worth a round of applause this, isn't it? What an extraordinarily wonderful man. Thanks so much to Chris and his team for the interview and to Virgin Radio for sticking it up on YT. Thanks to all. Wonderful.
Stephen Fry is spot on- good teachers deserve respect.
They already get more than they deserve. Most of them are terrible and they get nothing but praise. Look at the recent strikes. Kids are failing at record rates, COVID was a disaster for schooling and teachers failed at every level and yet we praised them and gave them a raise. Teachers need to be held to a standard. Not just praised for no reason
@@criticalcommenterQuite agree.
@@criticalcommenterthat’s why they said GOOD teachers
I admire the way Stephen Fry mentioned the Taxi Drivers and how they were made to feel stupid in school. State Education failed to teach my daughter to read, write and spell. I used Art and Music to make reading fun and not stressful. She has passed her English Exam and was awarded Best Student and Artist in College. Home Education helped her to be self-motivated and determined to succeed in life.
There are some good teachers. But sadly there are bad ones too (Bullies). I feel our children deserve a kinder Bespoke Education which promotes what they are good at, not what is expected!
I was taught ITA English Twaddle in school here in the UK (England). A backward Alien language that made no sense whatsoever. Thankfully parents got it banned.
It's amazing I can spell at all. But I am a warrior. ♥️
LoveStephen Fry. He has a great insight into finding the skills in people. ❤
As a BP type 1 with a long suffering partner, who sees things a little differently. Listening to this ramble gave my steady, pleasure abundant. Big love from Serbia 🇷🇸.
One of the rare times chris evans doesn't interupt the interviewee! Mr Fry is a national treasure.
Is that Chris Evans from the 80s game show Perfect Match or another Chris Evans
Stephen Fry is an a amazing man, and national treasure
Sadly many people leave school with the perception of themselves that the education system impresses on them. I'm 64 now and my advice to young people is when you leave school then that's the very start of being able to educate yourself in what you're good at and love. Don't expect it to be given to you, go out and take your own steps to educating yourself in what's going to work for you.
It may well be a journey over the first few years finding out what that is, but in many cases it's intrinsically linked to what you love doing in your spare.
Don't be frightened of 'not knowing' or feel like you 'might look foolish'. Everyone of us is ignorant in any subject until we seek to educate ourselves about it. The internet can be a wonderful tool for educating ourselves in many things and finding courses that will help us. Don't be frightened of struggling or failing at first either. The route to success is often paved with failures that we make through the learning process.
Stephen Fry's experiences echoed my own. A disaster at sport and bored with much that I was expected to do at school, mainly because I couldn't do things the way that I was expected. However, I was fortunate in my teachers. They saw my strengths, and worked with them. I was already reading and writing when I started school, so I was given a quiet corner to sit and read whilst my peers learned their alphabet. By the time those peers were reading their first books, I was being provided with Dickens. I was never forced to do sport, being totally inept, instead I used to spend my time producing display work for the whole school, because I was good at art. This continued into secondary school where I was encouraged to take alternative routes. When it came to 'A' Levels, I was useless and failed, but a teacher training college saw my potential and offered me a place. Ironically, my eventual degree was better than any achieved by my peers who followed the well trodden academic path. That path was never for me, I much preferred exploring the muddy patches at the side of the path, or veering into the near by fields ir woods 😊
I was a teacher for 35 years (before retiring early for health reasons). One of the things that made me angry was the off-hand manner in which my colleagues would dismiss a pupil. Their attitude was, "oh, they can't do my subject, they must be thick!" They were focused upon what pupils couldn't do rather than finding, which I took as my primary role, what they could do.
In a way, this backfired upon me. Several on the management team recognised my "ability" to get the best out of the pupils. As a result I waa given the difficult classes, the lower sets, or those pupils who were just falling through the net. It was hard work, but I look back with some pride. Often, the pupils that others had dismissed, were getting higher grades than their peers.
I suppose that the fact that I am not neurotypical played a part. I am autistic, though not diagnosed until after I retired. I see the world differently to a neurotypical person, and so was more likely to spot the potential within every pupil. I was not, of course, completely successful, some would slip through the net because they chose to. However, and I include my handful of failures, everyone has something that they can do well if only they get recognised and guided. No one should be dismissed in an off-hand manner.
Bravo Stephen Fry. Our teachers and education are not recognised enough. Good teachers beget good teachers and we need better teaching in today’s world. Especially, I would argue, in history. If people knew more about the appalling mistakes of the past maybe we wouldn’t be so keen to repeat them.
Anti intellectualism is mainstream again for the first time in many decades. Particularly when it comes to history and science.
@@NC-ck5oj sadly true I would say. Aren’t we supposed to be enlightened at this time in history? What went wrong? Too much plastic in our systems? Could this be what stops humanity passing beyond the “great filter”?
This man is the literature version of sir David Attenborough and should be protected at every cost..I could listen to him all day
DO you mean David Attenborough who tells PROVEN LIES in his documentaries and scares children telling them they are all going to die.
Sorry if your pushing an agenda and it’s real, it should be able to stand up by itself without lies or misleading statements, TRUTH CAN AND ALWAYS WILL STAND ON ITS OWN.
Is that the man you mean.
A Man ...?? Who married a young chap ... Cringe!
You sad, sad Man😢
I went to a sink school. So bad at had write ups in the Evening Standard. But a had brilliant history teachers who taught me the value of curiosity and learning. And from there you can teach yourself and I have taken that with me through my whole life and it has opened so many doors
some teachers find it stimulating to work in "bad" schools...my hat's off to them, for sure
Our collective Humanity is blessed to have Stephen Fry as an advocate for the oppressed and maligned. We are nothing without people like him.
I rather like the Irish tradition of choosing artists, poets and cultural figures to be their President. Well, in that spirit I nominate Stephen Fry to be President of Britain.
You'll need to become a Republic, first.
@@errolkim1334 That, my dear, is the entire point.
@@mrfitz96 your point their country
Bloody hell, Chris Evans is unrecognisable! Aged beyond recognition, scary what time does
What Fry said about London taxi drivers, an even more impressive example would be the New York tour guide we knew as Eddie taking us by coach around the major attractions of the city, and being able to deliver a lot of interesting anecdotes about those locations. He didn't even do the driving, someone else did, but the amount of concentration he must've needed to be aware of his whereabouts and be able to deliver the right information must've taken weeks of practice! It took a lot out of him as well, as he was constantly looking around out of the coach windows, and even told a couple of our tour group to please keep quiet as they were talking and most likely distracting him. At least a couple of times, we even got off the coach to have a look at major landmarks like Grand Central Terminal and the former Ground Zero (this was in 2012). I wonder how much he got paid for that job?
""Stephen Fry, Thaumaturge of the Written and Spoken Word!"🙏
Very astute as completing the knowledge gave me the confidence to complete a degree and then become a teacher. The best teachers aren't necessarily those that succeed in education first time.
The teachers that I remember, and who influenced me the most, had all come from other careers before teaching.
@@solentbum maturity helped me the most
I had a teacher at college who was profoundly deaf, he was one of the best public speakers and one of the most gifted teachers I ever had the pleasure to learn from, he was and inspiration.
Mr Fry is so correct, we never give teachers the respect for the responsibility of expanding the children’s minds. . .
But of course governments do not want an educated population because we would ask to many questions. .
Give them football, gambling and beer . .
Educate yourself
I could well imagine Sir Humphrey saying words to that effect 😅
Love Stephen Fry..So modest and just a likeable, knowledgeable person..The Man most people would love to live next door to!
Stephen Fry for president.
Let’s not forget; for all those marvellous teachers who inspire and deserve awards there are those who can shatter a child’s self confidence in seconds.
My son left secondary education at 16 with no decent GCSE’s. Not because he wasn’t intelligent but because he was lost in the system of a massive Comprehensive and bullied by his peers. One particular teacher told him that he could forget any idea of his ‘dream job’ because it was never going to happen. 6 years after leaving, he had a light bulb moment and decided to try for it anyway as he said (quote) “I don’t want to be looking back in 40yrs😅 wishing what might have been .”
After his day job, he self studied for 2 years, passed 18 exams for Civil Aviation Authority and I sacrificed my job, took early retirement to give him the money for flight school . He qualified as a Commercial Pilot, all 1st time passes and with grades in the top 5% of the Country ! He’s been a pilot for 16years.
Thank you for such an enlightened and respectful view, valuing what should be valued
I so so love that point Stephen makes about how people are amazed at his cleverness but its the fact that he's just interested in certain things which sound so clever and other people have interests in other things, in his example football. However there's no doubt Stephen is incredibly clever but still, its a lovely self deprecating and very kind way to explain it and bring all the rest of us in on his journey, sharing knowledge and empowering others. What a wonderful man he is.
Chris…love your ‘dys and dat’ explanation…so many teachers will relate to you and Mr Fry..excellent show! ❤❤❤
Fry is describing the perfect teacher. My sense is that there are only, a very few who fit into that description. Also I’d prefer it if Evans didn’t wear a hat indoors.
I'm totally with you on the hat thing. Especially in a restaurant or somewhere like that. I've seen people my age do it, who should know better. When my son was a teenager, he would come into our house with some of his pals, who were wearing hats, which were quickly removed for them. Don't need a hat indoors...
financial problems weigh them down
I was always called intelligent, but also heard at every parents' evening "she's great in class, but doesn't do well in exams", and I got told repeatedly that I didn't revise enough. Turns out, I'm dyspraxic too and just couldn't keep the information in my head. Only two teachers in seven years put two and two together and taught me differently - they're the only two classes I got an A in.
Stephen's right; basing intelligence, or ability, on a "one size fits all" system is such bullshit. There are some fiercely intelligent people out there who go through school thinking they're idiots, and some idiots who think they're intelligent just because they exam well. And it's the former who get left behind. It's ridiculous.
Another wonderfully inspiring interview this morning Chris & Team. Thank you.
Love this blokes views on soo much. What an intelligent guy
I remember many of my wonderful teachers. I have already forgotten most of the MPs who have supposedly represented me.
I met Stephen Fry in Hatchards Piccadilly years ago, I have a NE accent and he was so quick, he said "you are not from round here are you"!! he was a lovely man, huge and gave off a wonderful energy!!
Stephen Fry is a national treasure.
yawn how boring
Brilliant.
In a better society than any that we have on the face of the earth today, a teacher - primary, secondary, post-school, undergraduate, graduate, you name it - should be the highest paid and greatest respected in society, ranked above all others.
I remember reading a newspaper or magazine article comparing the costs of sending a child to Eton College to the costs involved in sending a youth to a Young Offenders Institution. Eton was cheaper !
it's a shame that the dismal educational system of the uk isn't able to manage utilise of brilliance of people like Stephen Fry in some capacity.
Respect to Chris for letting his guest talk...
Growing up in West Yorkshire in the 1950s/60s, it was common for parents of that era to regard some children as 'brain boxes' and, basically believed what had been passed on to them and their children. Come to the infamous 11+ exam, which scared to death many sensitive children (often burdened under the element of water!) did not even bother to complete the test, as they emotionally pondered the gravitas of the event, the intense responsibility of passing the exam, to have a greater opportunity to go on to higher education. I was one such person, who ventured out into the world at age 20, worked my way through various activities in employment, (first by using my voice), and later found myself to be a true asset to the medical profession, working with the most eminent physicians in the world, writing and reading, studying, learning, and moving into a profession myself - without an 11+ or high school education in Britain. I teach others to find their talents, skills, and loves, their gift of contribution, and to know and understand that we all have a place in this world and each is brilliant in some way and has something that our fellows require and need of us and services both us and them.
If Stephen Fry is the national treasure, we are totally screwed.
What?
Brenda Price, Marie-Louise Wardle and Reginald Anthony Peter are three teachers, from my murky schooldays, to whom I owe so much.
Here teachers finally get respect, without good education the whole of society collapses. Which is actually slowly happening. Politicians see it as an expensive expense.
Total respect for this amazingly articulate man
Stephen Fry, is a Philhellene. Stephen Fry wrote “How can we British be proud until we sit down with Greek politicians and arrange for the return of their treasure? It would be a dignified, but a thrilling celebration if the Prime Minister or his Deputy had the grace and guts to make this gesture, perhaps at the opening of London 2012 and then following it up in Athens with a full reinstallation, it will achieve many things.
What greater gesture could be made to Greece in its time of appalling financial distress? An act of friendship, atonement and an expression of faith in the future of the cradle of democracy would be so, well just so damned classy.” A heartfelt thank you to the wonderful Stephen Fry! Your genuine and thoughtful words will forever resonate in the hearts of the people of Greece.
Britain must pay for their military bases, and then be forced to give them back to the Greeks Cypriots?
(as its an utter disgrace that Britain managed to still have land on Cyprus).
The trustees of the British Museum have become the world’s largest receivers of stolen property, and the great majority of their loot is not even on public display. The U.K. cannot right historical wrongs - but can no longer, without shame, profit from them. EU countries are concerned about the illegal trade of artefacts through London auction houses.
Let's get it straight...Elgin STOLE them, they are NOT the Elgin Marbles. The sculptures held captive in the British Museum are the PARTHENON Marbles. You cannot change the past, what's done is done. But you CAN do something about the future, You CAN change the present. Do what's right. Return the PARTHENON sculptures to their rightful home, Return the PARTHENON Sculptures to Greece. Reunite Them! “BRING THEM BACK!” Thousands of pieces of Greek antiquities are hosted in the British Museum. Our campaign does not ask for the return of those. We ask for the return of the Parthenon sculptures in Greece and the Reunification of the Monument. We, the users of the Internet obtain power and we are able to mobilize the international public opinion. Our goal can be achieved this way. Do you believe this is fair? If yes, help this goal come true. Say your own “BRING THEM BACK!”
www.bringthemback.org/www.bringthemback.org/www.bringthemback.org/www.bringthemback.org/
Repatriation now will right a historical wrong and will honour those hundreds of thousands of my fellow countrymen who selflessly gave up their families and lives to be at your side when the Axis military tide was against you. We paid in blood to support Britain and its citizens, Prime Minister: for our country we now ask for a signature by you and your cabinet to return the Parthenon Sculptures to Athens where they belong.
If Britain could give back India, then surely the emptying of one room of a London museum is a small price to pay to right a historical wrong. It would also be a way to say thank you to those hundreds of thousands of Greeks who willingly traded their families and future for a simple cross in a dusty cemetery in order to stand by you in your own darkest hour.
Robin Williams Was A Philhellene. His Words On Greece. To many he was an icon, an all-around inspiration to everyone.
Back in 2011, Williams gave an interview to Greek TV host George Satsidis while promoting the animated feature “Happy Feet 2,” to which he lent his voice. During the interview, Williams had expressed his appreciation for Greece and touched us all.
“Greek History is something all mankind must, must bow to”
- I know you’ve visited Greece. What do you think?
I have come for a holiday with a boat and we went to all the islands. Facing them you say: “I can not believe that here is recounted everything we read in Greek mythology.” Greek History is something all mankind must, must bow to.
Maybe your economy goes to hell, but that does not mean you’re helpless. Economic data is constantly changing in Europe and America for all. What is not changing is the legacy, your identity. The Parthenon does not leave Athens. It’s there to remind you that progress and prosperity may return.
I am now in England, for example, I went nowhere. I’m here to promote the movie and I will leave. What to see, Buckingham Palace? I do not care. As when I go to Germany, I’m not interested in the Berlin Wall, which is not a symbol of prosperity, but the opposite.
But you can not ignore Delos, the Parthenon and Mycenae!
Thank you Robin Williams. You will be missed.
I wonder how different his life would have been had his parents not been able to pay for his education.
Very powerfully and beautifully expressed by Stephen Fry. I had tears in my eyes towards the end. Sometimes people are wrongly judged and cast out because of their background or abilities. I wouldn't say I was a misfit exactly but very few actually saw the real potential in me growing up. It's so erroneous to gauge someone's academic excellence as the only measure of greatness or worthiness. The system is designed for that in schools in some parts of the world (in South Asia for instance). Some people learn while doing some activity or on the job... than merely mugging up bookish information and passing out with flying colours. Greetings from India.
Unfortunately our world is full of unsung heroes.
Such literary folk agreed are a dying breed indeed.
Tom Baker, Ralph Richardson, Peter Sellers, John Gielgud etc etc ..especially my English teacher at Grammar School 'Reggie Brigden' gawld bless 'im! 💖
Yes..
Long live Stephen Fry esq. and all that are like him keeping the English language alive. 🙏
Imagine if some people had had a teacher like the one Stephen mentioned when they were kids, taking the time to speak to them and bestow some confidence on them, their lives could have turned out so differently.
Yes, if they went to a top-tier private school like he did they probably would have teachers like that 🙄
How little you know @@judgeberry6071
@@judgeberry6071 I'm aware of that? I'm just saying if other teachers were like that, how many people's lives could it have a positive impact on.
@MarxistKnight Likewise, I get what you’re saying. However, my counterpoint is basically that you get what you pay for. It's about money. I went to a public high school, and most of the teachers, with the exception of one or two genuinely pleasant ones, were aholez.
@@MarxistKnight we are like that but we can't get to every student in one hour, then on to the next, and the next
I love Stephen Fry. I could listen to him all day. National treasure? Oh yes!
Definitely a national treasure!! I could listen to him for ages on any topic and i wouldn't get bored!
Top marks to Chris Evans for having minimal input and just letting Stephen Fry talk. So many hosts want to make it all bout them rather than their guests. SF is a special person and we should all have the opportunity to hear what he has to say.
Didn’t know Evan’s had turned into a little granny
What a wonderful, fascinating, engaging man. They say never meet your heroes, but I would love to meet Stephen Fry.
I like your enthusiasm for the origin of words. It's like a huge puzzle. I was raised in the UK but now live in the Netherlands. I remember at the start of my journey to learning Dutch that I was told that the Dutch word for rucksack is rugzak. Now you can see how those two words are similar but this is the bit that got me. In Dutch rug means back and zak means bag. Put those together and suddenly it's a very descriptive word. But how did English end up with such a similar word but have ruck where Dutch has rug? To me it suggested a previous collaboration between the languages even if ruck does have some forgotten meaning not related to a count of people, rugby, or a messed up piece of cloth.
They share a Germanic root. No mystery.
If you look at the second official language of the Netherlands. Which is way older then Dutch it shares even more similarities with the English language.
Rucksack is a German word
@@thomasschumacher5362 Ah so that's how it got into English. Presumably it has the same breakdown in parts as the Dutch.
@@rubenkramer9902 I've seen many overlaps Ruben. The Scottish use kerk for church. Btw what's your take on verstandskiezen? Many years ago a Dutch colleague said it was far standing teeth as they are at the back. I argued the origin is more likely to do with knowledge or understanding. He changed his mind 🙂
Interesting his talk of Taxi Drivers. I'm sure The amount a taxi driver has to absorb to gain the Knowledge,would frighten most of us
This man is unique pure genius, class big fan of his pure class so intelligent funny has it all .
I used to have so much respect for this man, but he showed his true colors
Yep. Pure establishment and pro- genocide. Ugly to see.
What did he do wrong?
4:34 - the part about how hard it is to become a cab driver in London isn't very comforting when you consider the rise of Uber and driver less cars.
Thank you (yet again) Mr Fry. Oh, the importance of good teaching and the recognition that everyone has ability and value to be nurtured!
I was fortunate to go to what was and is regarded as a very good school. In some things I did very well; in others not so much. For many years I attributed my less than good areas of performance to selective stupidity. That attribution might still be valid I hasten to add, but I also realised that my so called ‘good’ teachers in those subjects never bothered to engage us in the ‘why’ of so many things. Algebra, calculus, logarithms, geometry- math in general - stood out for me in this regard. They were just presented as a sort of fait accompli: “here, learn that”. Why? “Because it’s in the end of term exam.” Yeah, but why do we do this and why algebra? “Just do it boy and stop being obtuse, you idiot. Detention!” And so passed a frustrated couple of years until I could ditch math. Now, I know about the Babylonians solving for unknown quantities and the savant, Al-Khwarizmi, and the applications in computer science, telecommunications, medicine, flight, engineering. But to a small kid none of that was necessarily self evident. Despite that older awareness, I still suck at math, but what I wouldn’t have given for a teacher who started out by posing and answering that simple question, why?
You can only admire Stephen Fry.
Such a pleasure to listen Stephen Fry. He can make any subject sound interesting and captivate the listener. The old lady though in the green baseball cap seemed a little lost at times.
It's my belief that we all have what I call a "brain filter." It's different for each person, and we have no control over what it catches and what it lets through. I can't remember numbers and arithmetical facts and formulae, for instance. But I remember bits of trivia that I've heard just once, in passing. And I have a facility for making up nonsense lyrics to songs on the spot. These may not be marketable skills, but offshoots of the things our brain filters collect can be useful in the right working context. The best teachers and mentors recognize this and nourish it in young people.
We are all fabulous, unique, and wonderful. Part of our life's journey is to discover that, and wise teachers like Stephen, are like lanterns to light our path and help us on our way. 🙏
Another brilliant segment from Stephen Fry. I've lost count!