Day 0 – Why am I taking a sabbatical? – Physics teacher’s sabbatical

George Watson’s College, where I have worked as a physics teacher for over 20 years (😳), have graciously provided me with a break from the classroom to do something completely different – to go out of my depth.

I’ve always tended, perhaps like most people, to take the path of least resistance. For me that has been maths and physics. It just clicks, and when the penny drops, it’s a subject that does not require learning, memorisation, or the necessity to store a great deal of language in my limited brain cells.

Biology, history, and other wordy subjects have typically been more of a challenge. I have always found learning ‘facts’ way too much mental effort. So when I’m enjoying walking in the hills, bringing to mind the name of that plant, or this tree or what type of moss is growing there, has always proven difficult. And as a teacher who enjoys taking students out of their comfort zone and into the Scottish wilderness, I too have felt out of my depth, unable to inspire or promote enthusiasm due to my own lack of knowledge.

Hence this sabbatical.

I want to learn how better to deliver inspiring environment education to young people. So I’m planning to spend as much of April to June 2024 as I reasonably can in the Highlands, trying to do just that.

So on Monday 1st April, with a climb up Blaven, in Skye, the sabbatical began. Technically the sabbatical is for the third term, which doesn’t start until Monday 15th April, so I’m calling this, in true Watson’s fashion, my day zero!

Blaven, or Blà Bheinn as it’s formally known, is a surprisingly beautiful hill. It completes my round of the Skye Munros that first began over a decade ago¹. I was not aware that Blaven stands on an estate owned by the John Muir Trust. So this Easter Monday trek turned out to be a great choice of hill to start my learning process. Lots to think about here and unpack – everything from peatlands and sphagnum moss! Take the time to read the signs.

I plan to use this blog to record what I am learning over these next three months. Unless I write it down, it’s lost from my memory. So this public journal is as good a place as any to record my progress.

I hope to keep my posts short and frequent – perhaps that is the most ambitious goal of the entire journey!