Who is .... Mr Claxton?
- Created on 11 February 2022
- Last changed on 08 March 2022
Mr Claxton the head of our French department arrived at ISH at the beginning of the school year and what a contribution he's made with his joyful presence. Our very own ambassador of good vibes!
Let's start with French! What led you to become a French teacher?
Hah! Good question. I started learning French at school when I was 11 and I still remember the first time I went to France. It was a day trip to Calais with my dad. Hardly the most glamorous, but it was the first time I’d been abroad and it seemed incredibly foreign to me! French has been a constant in my life. Although, since then I’ve also learnt and taught German and Spanish.
Quadrilingual, impressive! Do you have a favorite French word or quote?
Hmm. ‘Reculer pour mieux sauter’
According to Stabroek News website …
‘Reculer pour mieux sauter’ – the French maxim means ‘to take a step back in order to jump better’ or, in other words, to retreat in order to achieve a stronger position – was supposed to be a favoured tactic of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Ooohhhh we love this one!
Which countries have you lived in?
France for 1 year, Spain for 2 years, Singapore for 6 years. And now the Netherlands since last summer. (And England for a lot of years!)
Have you always been a teacher, what were your previous jobs before coming to ISH?
No, although just last weekend we had a big reunion with friends who asked what job I’d do if I wasn’t a teacher and the truth is there is no other job on the planet I would like to do more.
My path into teaching was a bit indirect. I studied French at university and as part of my course I spent a year as a language assistant in France. After university I went and taught English in Spain, not because I wanted to be a teacher, but because I couldn’t think of anything else to do! I fell in love with teaching after being there for a couple of years, and came back to England to train as a proper teacher!
That was back in 1994, since then I followed a pretty linear path towards school leadership. I worked in 5 inner city schools in London, starting as a newly qualified French and Spanish teacher and ending up as Principal of a new school in the docklands.
In 2015 everything changed when my wife was asked to open an office in Singapore …
Singapore was my first experience of international teaching and it has been life changing!
Let's talk life changing! How has living in Singapore influenced how you live? And all those trips to Vietnam, could we expect a pho if we turned up for dinner?
Living overseas always changes my outlook for the better. The 2 years I spent in Spain in my early 20s were really formative. In the same way living in Singapore has been really life-changing for so many reasons. In part it was my first exposure to international teaching and so my career path has been turned upside down which has been refreshing. In part it was my first time in Asia which is an incredible, beautiful, dynamic part of the world. As a family we got to travel to some amazing places, including Vietnam. I’ve got a pretty mean recipe for pho! In fact we’re having a Chinese New Year banquet this weekend with some other ex-Asia expats.
What do you miss the most about your home country?
Both my children are now grown up and are in the UK and so the obvious answer is that I miss them the most. It is so much easier to go and see them and family now we’re in the Netherlands though. From Singapore it was a 13 hour flight and for the last 2 years there has been a super strict lockdown. I missed so many important family events due to COVID so it’s good to be closer now.
What has surprised you the most when you moved to The Netherlands?
Where to begin? For such a small country it’s incredibly diverse and culturally rich. We live in Amsterdam which is a great place to be. I honestly thought all the canals and windmills were postcard images so it’s been a surprise to see them everywhere. Although, I’m getting used to them now!
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Two things, the beginning of the day and the end of the day. I feel a buzz of excitement at the start of each day. There is always going to be something new either in the classroom or in conversations with colleagues. I feel so energized by being in school. At the end of the day I ride home and my wife always starts with the same question 'how was your day' and it’s always the same answer 'brilliant'!
At IS Hilversum I am so impressed by the students. The two things that impress me the most are their willingness to step up and help others through service as action, and their academic curiosity.
What are some of the most interesting things about you that we wouldn´t learn from your resume alone?
Erm. I really love cycling. I’m not sure how interesting that is.
Very interesting! So our lycra loving, MAD keen cyclist, when did this love affair begin?
I’ve always loved riding a bike, one of my earliest memories was heading into the nearest town to buy sweets. Bikes have always meant mobility and liberation for me.
The turning point was around 15 years ago when a work colleague suggested we try and ride up Mont Ventoux in France. That was when I bought my first road bike and I’ve never looked back.
Singapore has an amazing cycling culture – which is surprising given how small it is. It’s possible to ride from Singapore over to Malaysia and that then opens up a whole new world of tropical treats!
Have you undertaken any big cycling challenges?
Oh yes! Mont Ventoux was the first – there’s a challenge called ‘Club des Cinglés de Mont Ventoux’ – basically there are 3 ways to ride to the top (1600m each time) so the challenge is to do all 3 in a day. It’s quite hard.
In Taiwan there’s a road which goes from sea level up to over 3200m – it’s an epic climb up through the Taroko Gorge to the top of Wuling – that’s a great ride.
There were some great road races in Malaysia and Indonesia – I had a blast!
The best challenge for me though was a charity called ‘Ride for Rations’ – I rode from Melaka to Singapore on my Brompton (folding bike) which was fun. I did this for 3 years to raise money for a great cause.
Do you have a cycling dream trip?
I’d love to just head out and do a bike packing trip through Europe. A cycling buddy of mine is doing a bunch of trips over the coming months and I’m very jealous!
If you had to live somewhere for a gap year, where would it be and why?
I’d go back to Singapore in a heartbeat! I love the heat and the food and the culture.
Who inspires you?
This is going to sound strange – but I think Anthony Bourdain. I am binge watching his travel documentaries. Some of my friends are surprised as he had quite a cynical and pessimistic outlook which is the opposite of me – but his mantra was to respect and embrace the culture that you in – and that truly inspires me.
Sunset or sunrise?
Oh sunrise definitely. It’s always the start of a new day. I’ve seen some great sunsets in Asia but nothing can beat sunrise over a misty hilltop when you’re out on the bike!
What advice would you give your high school self?
Don’t resist the careers advisers when they tell you to go into teaching!
