MENTORING CHILDREN
Carol Murdoch (40) lives in Torphichen, West Lothian with her husband and cat. She left school at 16 and tried a few jobs before becoming a primary school teacher, but then she broke her toes and everything changed…
“I was in class and managed to catch my toes and broke two of them. This was the day before my theor y driving test and couldn’t have been worse timing. Having to stay in class until the end of the day before heading to A&E gave me plenty of time to reflect. I’d reduced my hours to tr y and gain some work life balance and sitting there in A&E, I realised that if I didn’t get out of teaching it would break more than just my toes.
“I made some major decisions: leave teaching, star t a tutoring business, and apply to do a Masters degree. I needed a safety blanket, so for that first year I was a supply teacher, working one day a week. Midway through that year I star ted Love Outdoor Learning www. loveoutdoorlearning.com .Itwasa whirlwind but I firmly believed I was on the right path and just kept on moving for ward. Love Outdoor Learning provides resources, suppor t, training and experiences helping teachers break out of the classroom and into the playground, removing barriers to learning. As a teacher, I loved outdoor learning but could only work with one class and one school at a time. As a business owner I love it even more and currently provide ongoing suppor t to 10% of primar y schools in Scotland and more worldwide.
“I feel fulfilled and happier than I have been in years. I’m a teacher to the core and my business allows me to still do this. We’ve worked with so many schools and we also of fer free suppor t which has engaged over 7,500 teachers and helped over 300,000 children get outside. I love working with children and adults and helping them realise they can do something that they thought was tricky. One wee boy realised he was a good writer and could create magic, when before that he would not even put his name to paper. The children and young people who go through our inter vention programmes are often close to permanent expulsion from school but we help equip them with the skills and strategies to help make education a success.”