1Hello. Jonathan Briggs, isn't it?
2Yes, that's right.
3Do come in and sit down.
4Thanks.
5Right.
6Well, Jonathan, as we explained in your letter,
7in this part of the interview, we like to talk through your application form...
8your experience to date, etc....
9and then in the second part,
10you go for a group interview.
11Group interview... yes, I understand...
12So... your first degree was in Economics?
13Yes, but I also did Politics as a major strand.
14And you graduated in 1989.
15And I see you have been doing some teaching...
16Yes. I worked as a volunteer teacher in West Africa.
17I was there for almost three years in total from....
181990 to... 1992.
19How interesting.
20What organisation was that with?
21It's not one of the major ones. It's called Teach South.
22Oh, right.
23Yes, I have heard of it.
24It operates in several African countries, doesn't it?
25And what kind of school was it?
26A rural co-operative.
27Oh, a rural co-operative, how interesting...
28and what did you teach?
29A variety of things in different years...
30I did... with Forms 1 to 3 mainly Geography
31and some English with Form 5.
32Then in my final year,
33I took on some Agricultural Science with the top year...
34that's Form 6.
35Right. Quite a variety then...
36I also ran the school farm.
37How interesting...
38And how did you find the whole experience?
39I'll be honest with you.
40At the end of the first year I really wanted to leave and come home.
41Oh, why was that?
42Well... I was very homesick at first and missed my family...
43Yes, I can understand that.
44and I also found it frustrating to have so few teaching resources,
45but I did decide to stay
46and in the end I extended my tour to a third year.
47Right.
48Things must have looked up then?
49Yes. We set up a very successful project breeding cattle to sell locally.
50Really?
51And then after a lot of hard work we finally got funds for new farm buildings.
52And you wanted to see things through?
53And that's why you want to train to teach Geography?
54Yes.
55I've had a couple of jobs since then
56but I now realise I like teaching best.
57And I chose Geography because...
58because it is my favourite subject...
59and also because I think it has so many useful applications.
60Well... you certainly have had some interesting work experience.
61I'll ask you now to go on to the next stage...