A Conversation With... Mrs Teuta Hill

In this week's 'A Conversation With...', we sat down with the Business Studies Department's new Head, Mrs Teuta Hill. In this feature, we learn more about her passion for all things business, her plans to introduce a mindfulness and wellbeing co-curricular programme, and how if it wasn't for a certain Emma Watson, we might've seen a different Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series!

What is your role and how long have you been at Shiplake? 

I'm Head of Business Studies and have only just joined the College this September! 

What were you doing before joining Shiplake? 

I was Associate Head of Faculty at a North London school for a year and before that, I was Quality Nominee at a school in Hammersmith. I have been teaching for 10 years now but only in inner London, so this is definitely a change of location for me.  

What is a day in the life like for you at Shiplake? 

Well, a day in the life doesn't really start until I've had my first cup of coffee from the Staff Common Room (great coffee!). Another morning routine is checking the daily business news so that I can show my classes that day and link it to what we are learning about. Then it is teaching either A-level, CTEC or GCSE lessons which means that we could be looking at start-up businesses or exploring big corporations. Then outside of teaching, I also supervise cooking and recreational football - I'm a Liverpool fan for those interested!  

How has your first term at the College been? 

It's been busy! There has been a lot to get used to, many new names to learn, and just so many buildings and places to explore. But most of all, it's been wonderful. Everyone, from staff to pupils to parents; all have been so kind and just thoroughly brighten up my day. 

Why did you choose to specialise in business studies and why pursue a career in education? 

I specialised in business because it just made sense to me. Everything we come across on a daily basis is linked to business. When I went shopping, I would see all the promotions. Watching TV, the adverts always caught my attention. Even trying to work out student loans and interest rates... business is everywhere! I wanted to learn more, learn how it all worked and why. Then when I did, I wanted to share that with everyone else, which is why I went into teaching. 

What do you do outside of work? 

I'm usually busy with my family. We love playing board games, frisbee and exploring new cycling routes. When my children are then adequately tired, I love cuddling up with a good family movie. 

On the subject of movies, is it true that you could've been Hermione Granger...?  

Ha! Yes, kind of. I used to be part of the Sylvia Young Theatre School and enjoyed acting. I queued for five hours to audition to play Hermione Granger; all that waiting for a 30-second audition. They asked me to exit to the right, and that was where my acting career ended. Although, I did used to get mistaken for Hermione when I was younger as I used to make sure my hair looked the same, so I guess that still counts for something right? 

What does the future hold for Mrs Hill? 

I'd like to try different co-curricular activities because there is just so much going on! I'd also like to try and get pupils involved in a mindfulness and wellbeing co-curricular programme. This would involve mindfulness techniques which have been practised for a very long time such as tapping, which involves tapping on acupuncture points while focusing on an issue or feeling you're trying to resolve. Other activities would include walking barefoot on grass so that we can ground ourselves, or taking part in guided meditation to release any stress we may have.