In this week’s ‘A Conversation With… ‘ we had a chat with Politics Teacher and Assistant Head of PULSE, Mr Kevin Dickey. Mr Dickey’s passion for politics came while growing up in apartheid South Africa. In his spare time, Mr Dickey has taken up running and is currently training for the Reading Half Marathon.
How long have you been at Shiplake for, and what roles do you perform?
I have been teaching at Shiplake for one year and six months. I teach A Level Politics and GCSE History. I am also now the Assistant Head for PULSE, which stands for Personal Understanding, Learning Skills and Enrichment. One of my roles for PULSE is to arrange speakers to visit the College to talk about a range of topics, all with the aim to encourage students to think outside of their academic studies and about the opportunities available to them when they leave school.
What's your favourite thing about working at Shiplake?
The school's pastoral care system is second to none. The students are very fortunate to attend a school where they can develop such strong working relationships with their teachers.
What inspired you to become a teacher and how did you become interested in politics?
Honestly, I wanted to share my passion for politics and learning in general with future generations. Having worked in the corporate world for over 10 years, I think that I can safely say that nothing beats the 'buzz' of teaching teenagers.
My interest in politics first started whilst growing up in apartheid South Africa. Watching political leaders, such as F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela, attempt to craft a new state and nation under very challenging circumstances deeply shaped my political consciousness.
Music also drew me towards politics. From a young age, I started listening to punk rock and heavy metal bands such as Fugazi, Dead Kennedys, Stiff Little Fingers and Sepultura to name but a few. The political ideas to which I was exposed in some of their songs - though I did not always agree with them - got me thinking more about the nature of the state and the state's relationship with society. To find out more about what these bands were saying and whether their claims were cogent, I found myself spending many hours in bookstores and public libraries, drinking copious amounts of coffee and devouring great literary and political works.
A little birdie told us that you may be a bit of a dancer, can you tell us more?
Your 'little birdie' is correct. I used to compete for my university in ballroom and latin dancing. My favourite dance is the Waltz: the dance just looks and feels amazing, especially when you execute the rise and fall properly.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
At the moment, I really enjoy running. I like trying out different park-runs around Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Northern Ireland. I am also currently training for the Reading Half Marathon. During the school holidays (when I have got more free time), I enjoy going to rock gigs in London, visiting art exhibitions, catching up with family and friends and trying out new wines.
Tell us about something you have read or watched recently that really resonated with you.
I have just finished reading Phil Knight's Shoe Dog. I have always loved Nike shoes, so I wanted to find out more about the main person behind them. I didn't know that Phil Knight was an accountant and that he had to teach at Portland State University for a while just to keep his company afloat. I also didn't know that the famous swoosh was designed by an unknown graphic design student. What really resonated with me in this book, though, was how Knight and his rather eccentric team were able to build a successful multinational corporation in the face of a string of legal battles, personal tragedies and on a shoestring (pun intended!) budget. I think there is something we can all learn from their accomplishments in the face of real adversity.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
I am keen to take on more responsibilities within education. I hope that I will still be teaching politics, however. Indeed, nothing compares to teaching students how to think critically about US and UK politics, and exposing them to new and exciting vantage points.
