TEACHER TUESDAY: Catherine Abel

Name, position at Stonar and when you joined.

Cathy Abel, Reception Teacher and Prep Art Lead, September 2023

Can you tell us a bit about yourself 

I grew up in a small village called Abercynffig in South Wales. I loved school and have fond memories of both primary and secondary school, which probably influenced my career choice. I was involved in everything musical and played the flute whenever I could. I came to Bath to study for a music degree and could not believe how lucky I was the first Christmas I spent in the city. Being a life-long Jane Austen fan, this really was special. When I graduated, I spent eight years as a peripatetic recorder and flute teacher, visiting primary and secondary schools around Bristol and Bath. Although I enjoyed this, I increasingly felt that I wanted to play a bigger part in the education of the children I taught and decided to study for a PGCE. I have now been teaching early years for 22 years and I feel that it is a real privilege to play such a big part in the lives of the four- and five-year-olds in my care. I live in Bradford-on-Avon with my husband, Adam, and my cat, Wilfred.

What do you like to do in your free time/ hobbies?

I still play the flute and until recently rehearsed in a flute quartet every Monday evening. I love listening to music, especially the compositions of Bach and Shostakovich, reading in a bubble bath, visiting art galleries and fashion exhibitions at the V&A, walking in the countryside, going to the theatre to watch plays and contemporary dance and going out for dinner. I am a very keen dressmaker and make most of my own clothes. I have a slight obsession with Liberty fabric and have an enormous collection of fabric awaiting future projects, I just need a little more free time...

What are you looking forward to this year at Stonar?

As always, I am looking forward to spending the lead-up to Christmas with my class, as a reception classroom really is a magical place to be at this time of year. We are busy rehearsing for our nativity performance and the songs are well and truly stuck in my head. I am also looking forward to watching my class continue to grow in confidence and independence and develop numerous skills as the year progresses. One of the biggest highlights is always the moment when blending and segmenting ‘clicks’ and the children begin to read and write.

If your life was a movie, what would it be?

Oh my goodness, this really is a difficult question. I have no idea, so I am going to have to be influenced by some comments made to me last year. One of my colleagues told her class that I arrive at school not by car, but by umbrella and a kind parent said, “You really are a real-life Mary Poppins!” I’m not so sure, but I do try to make every day supercalifragilistic expialidocious for the children.

What pedagogical approaches do you use?

In an early years’ classroom, children need lots of opportunities to explore resources and activities and to practise skills that they have been taught. A lot of my time goes into planning the learning environment to make it accessible and engaging for the children whilst also ensuring it provides suitable challenge. It is important to find a balance between adult-led and child-initiated times. My class loves routine and often corrects me when I dare to deviate from the usual. I was extremely lucky to work with an inspirational reception teacher at the start of my teaching career who had visited Reggio Emilia in northern Italy and followed the Reggio Emilia approach. I learnt so much from her and continue to follow the main concepts of this approach: respect for the child, an emphasis on building relationships and the power of the learning environment.

What is a fun fact about you?

One of the perks of teaching a reception class is that there are lots of opportunities for dressing up throughout the year, which I embrace 100%. Believe it or not, I once had an interview for a leadership role whilst dressed as a fairy. That’s a story for another day, but just to let you know... I got the job!