Friday 21st January 2005
John Gibbs, Economics Teacher at Tonbridge School, Kent was voted Most Inspirational Teacher
As Simon Davis, presenting the awards said:
There are probably about 15,000 teachers who work full or part time at the schools in Tatler's Guide so choosing one as the most inspirational is like sifting through the London marathon and giving an award to the one person who tried the hardest. Not easy.
Thousands of teachers perform heroics with young people on a daily basis but it's the ones who make the lazy or bored kick into gear and the shy find confidence that deserve a special mention.
We sent questionnaires to both present and former pupils from each school in the Guide. The winner of our most inspirational teacher award was mentioned over and over again by pupils who, let's face it, are the best judges in this category.
He is 62-years-old and joined the school in September 1969 as his first teaching post and has remained ever since. He is also an old boy of the school.
He was a boarding house master for many years and was so loved and respected by boys and parents that he is now a consultant for all of the boarding houses at the school.
He has taught classics, economics and English to all age groups and is described as "brilliant, flexible, amenable and willing to help in any way".
One boy we spoke to who is now enjoying great success in The City said that without our winner's inspiration he would never have succeeded in economics, and never have made it in banking. "I owe my career to him," he told us.