Colette and Poppy from the Northgate News Team recently spoke to Miss Theobald who is second in the Maths Department and runs the School Council and rewards system. Here is what she had to say in response to their questions.
Have you had any other jobs before you started teaching?
I worked at Tescos and at HSBC during the holidays when I was at university.
How long have you been teaching at Northgate?
At the end of this academic year, it will be 18 years so quite a long time now, although it has gone really quickly!
We hear you belong to a litter picking group – what is the most amount of litter you have picked?
Yes, I belong to Dereham Community Litter pickers and we go out around Dereham every fortnight, keeping the area clean. Lots of students have said they have seen me doing this so I would encourage them to come along and get involved! The most amount of litter we picked on one litter pick was 143Kg – 31 bin bags full. Worryingly, since June 2022 we have removed over 3 tonnes of litter from Dereham – imagine that all piled up!
What is your favourite thing to do at school?
Apart from teaching Maths, probably the Orchard Committee because it’s a club that everybody can get involved in and it’s great to do something outside.
You are also a Brownie Leader – is there a link between being a teacher and a Brownie Leader?
It’s quite different because of their ages, but there are a few links between the two. It’s nice to do all the activities and crafts which makes it different to school. Lots of my Brownies have also come through Northgate too!
What is your favourite subject other than one that you teach?
At school one of my favourite subjects was chemistry, so I think I would say that, however I did also enjoy French and German.
Tell us an interesting fact about you that no one knows.
When I received my Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at St James Palace, it was given to me by Prince Phillip. Me and my twin sister both collected the awards and he asked us are we twins (we are identical)!
What is your favourite song?
I don’t really have a favourite song but I love 80s music and songs that you can sing along loudly in the car to.
Do you have any pets?
Yes! I have a hamster called Dottie and 4 guinea pigs called Pip, Willow, Hattie and Primrose.
Who is your favourite Mathematician?
Alan Turing, he helped crack the enigma code in WW2. I like anything to do with code breaking!
What is your favourite topic in Maths to teach?
Definitely algebra, but I also enjoy problem solving.
Can you describe Northgate in 3 words?
Community, opportunities and friendly
A big thank you to Colette and Poppy for taking the time to come up with the questions and to Miss Theobald for answering them. It is always interesting to find out a bit more about staff. We look forward to the next interview.
