Tim Langer from Christ’s College, New Zealand was the recipient of the Scholarship for 2014. Tim was appointed Gap Tutor at Christ College Brecon in Wales. Tim travelled with the organization Worldwide tutors who arrange placements and travel with appropriate schools.
Tim Langer Report
During my last year at College I decided I would like the challenge to take a year off from studies to experience new things overseas. I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to work abroad and spend a year as a tutor “gappy” at Christ College, Brecon in the UK, all with the financial help of the James Meikle Scholarship Trust.
It was exciting to arrive in Brecon, where I met the other ‘gappy’, Nicola from Australia, along with Simon Spencer, the deputy headmaster and the rest of the welcoming Christ College staff.
The house Christ College supplied us for the year was a perfect living arrangement for Nicola, the French assistant, Anthony and myself. It was spacious and accommodating, set amongst a row of terraced brick houses, only a short distance from the school itself.
We were introduced to the roles we would be taking care of for the year. We were placed in ‘Alway House’, which is a boarding house for the year 7 and 8 students. The house parents, Magnus Caithness and his wife Helen were great value, really making me feel at home. They were our fill in parents for the year and always looked out for us.
My role was to supervise the student’s breaks and free time during and after school. This would involve playing games and organising various other activities with them. Once a week I was on night duty in the boarding house where I supervised their homework and school related tasks. Then at the end of the evening I made sure they brushed their teeth and got to bed, to sleep! Although there was the occasional cheeky student here and there I was incredibly lucky to be working with such great children, not only did they make my job easier but also more enjoyable.
I spent a lot of my time in the maths department where I worked with specific students in years 7 to 11 who needed extra help in certain areas. I was able to spend time with them individually so we could focus on their weaknesses, which really helped them as well as myself. I found it very interesting to see the differences of how each student learnt, so was able to work out what I could do to benefit them best.
I also assisted with the cricket, hockey and rugby. I would attend their fixtures and away games. Also I ran a social football team as an after school activity. Whilst I was at school back in New Zealand I competed in long jump and triple jump competitively, so when summer came around I was able to get back down to the athletics track and help train with individual students, as well as officiate in interschool events.
Another amazing thing I got out of the year was travel. Every school holiday I was able to head off on my next adventure around Europe. Overall I visited 18 countries and it is hard to say what I enjoyed the most - it was all fantastic. What I experienced overall is hard to put into words, the places I went, the things I learnt and the people I met really made it a trip of a lifetime.
All of this could not have been possible without the generosity of the James Meikle Scholarship Trust and especially Elizabeth and Jim Meikle who have been so caring and thoughtful, making my year such a success. I have benefited so much from the year, giving me a whole different perspective of life.
This year it is time to focus on my Engineering degree, with the legacy of James Meikle behind me. I have been enjoying my studies thoroughly so far. Maybe someday in the future I can return to Brecon and relive all the memories, though by then the faces will have changed.
