Mr Max Parker

Share the love. Call out and appreciate your co-workers, as we all know and work with people who do a fantastic job day in, day out. Sometimes people's hard work can become and feel like the norm so please do nominate and let people know how amazing they are.

From working in my first role as a residential support worker for the National Autistic Society, I have been inspired by the impact that caring individuals can have on the lives of children. Providing children with positive experiences educationally continues to inspire me daily and drives my continued desire to be a teacher.

While there are daily highlights watching children understand and grasp a new concept or piece of learning, my personal highlight was while working with an autistic child who shared their first word with me... 'orange'. Hearing a child use their voice for the first time was an incredible experience and highlight of my career.  

Training and becoming a teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic understandably had its difficulties and challenges. I thank the work of scientists across numerous fields, as well as the work of the NHS, in their tireless efforts to combat the pandemic. More recently, the 14 years of austerity under the previous government had significant impacts on schools and their funding, the effects of which have been plain to see. 

I have been lucky enough to work in an incredible school – Callicroft Primary Academy – since qualifying, and I don't think I would be the educator I am today without the support of the team who work tirelessly and are absolutely wonderful. I of course have to mention my family as well as my beautiful partner Alice, also an educator, who brightens every one of my days.  

My dad worked as both a miner and a plumber, so I have to mention both carbon, the key element in coal, and lead, with the symbol Pb, from the Latin plumbum, from which plumbers are named. Plumbum is also just a fantastic word.