Chris Cutforth's Blog

Ready for a holiday  I’ve not been feeling great this week - s everal reasons I think.  First, I’m tired - ready for a holiday after a busy and at times stressful period since Christmas. Second, I’ve been marking students' work which often effects my mood - I've written about this before, only this time I’ve found myself questioning my teaching abilities which is rather unsettling. Third, the weather - it’s been such a long winter and according to the latest forecast, we're not done yet. And finally, it’s a part of my personality to experience mood swings, even depression, from time to time.  At least one in four people will experience mental health problems during their lifetime.  My symptoms include l oss of confidence, negative thoughts, broken sleep patterns - classic symptoms I guess. They feel really significant to me but I suspect are much less obvious to others, except to those who know me well. I’m  comfortable sharing these things - indeed I be...

Learning from life, death and funny people I will remember this past week as one in which we said farewell to some great and funny people. First, Professor Stephen Hawking whose work has transformed our understanding of the universe and our place within it. This is one of his most famous quotes which I love:   "One of the greatest revelations of the space age has been the perspective it has given us humans on ourselves. When we see the earth from space we see ourselves as a whole. We see the unity not the divisions - it is such a simple image with a compelling message: one planet, one human race.  We are here together and need to live together with tolerance and respect - we must become global citizens. I have been enormously privileged through my work to contribute to our understanding of the universe, but it would be an empty universe indeed if it were not for the people I love and the people who love me. We are time travellers together journeying together i...

Running and doing good After another busy week and my regular late Friday afternoon visit to the Norfolk Arms, I must have slept like a baby because I awoke at 6am on Saturday morning with the radio still on, to be greeted by an interesting discussion on the role of farmers in preserving wildlife and the environment, followed by an equally engaging piece on the challenges posed by human migration. I’m much more interested in these ‘big issues’ now than I was in the past - older and wiser I guess, less concerned about personal success and status, more bothered about the state of the world when my time is up and I’m finally pushing up the daisies. It took an extra dose of will power to drag myself out of bed this morning - but with the Beast from the East finally departed it was time to take one more step closer to the magic 100. Hillsborough was my chosen destination this weekend - having not run much lately I fancied one of the flatter courses. Whilst walking to the st...

Time travel and a love of running I’ve been on my own this week which has meant I’ve had to be more organised than normal - it's been quite a challenge but I've just about managed.   Another busy week - a heavy work schedule plus, with Ailsa away, I’ve had to dash home most lunchtimes to walk the dog. “A dog is for life, not for Christmas” which is so true. Being greeted by those sulky eyes, clearly so pleased to see me and apparently thinking deep philosophical thoughts, has been a joy to behold - and then having to walk the legs off her before returning to the classroom in the afternoon has been the best stress buster in the world. Thank you Isla for keeping my busyness in perspective and improving my teaching by at least 20 per cent! Something really interesting happened in one of my classes this week. Towards the end of the seminar 2 students who clearly didn’t know each other very well started discussing their views on Christianity and sexuality. During the ...

Mr Forgetful and hairy ankles Lots to talk about this week - hopefully some of it will be of interest.  Met one of my former students on an afternoon dog walk (he was running, I was walking). Jedde spoke enthusiastically about his role in leading on PE teacher training at Manchester Met University, how much he was enjoying the responsibility and how appreciative he was of the learning he had acquired during his time at Sheffield Hallam. Nice to catch up Jedde - keep up the good work and keep on running! Finally approved around 30 students for their international placements this week. They’re travelling as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Japan  and Spain. It’s quite a responsibility checking they have everything in place for their trips - also deciding whether they are mature and resilient enough to represent both themselves and the University abroad. I am looking forward to learning more about their experiences when they return to ...

Truth, sadness and a love of film  Last weekend we saw the Stephen Spielberg movie, The Post. You probably know the plot - it’s about the the Washington Post and the lies and secrecy of the US government's handling of the Vietnam war. The film starts slowly before gradually building to an exciting climax in which Meryl Streep, who plays the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, has to decide between exposing the truth about the war and the risk of prosecution and the survival of the newspaper her family has worked so hard to establish. Those of you with a good knowledge of American history or who have seen the film will already know her decision. It's a riveting movie with an uncanny resemblance to the Trump White House and its attitudes towards the mainstream media.    My son Luke's involvement in the film business is largely responsible for my renewed interest. I’m always on the lookout for good movies to go see; I read the reviews with a critical...

Rich and varied conversations It's been a depressing week weather-wise don't you think? - although slightly better on Thursday and Friday, I'll give you that. Roll on spring and summer  - we've booked a holiday to La Gomera at Easter to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, so that's something for us to look forward to. Last Sunday on the way to visit my 94 year old Dad in Huddersfield, I listened to one of my sporting idols, Roger Federer, winning his 20th grand slam whilst apparently, on the surface at least, barely breaking sweat. What an amazing sportsman and such a great role model - and he speaks four languages (three more than me) - such a talent.     Dad and I enjoyed lunch at a local farm shop, catching up on our respective news. Later we watched the highlights of aforementioned tennis match - I’m not sure if it’s more or less enjoyable watching one of your sporting heroes perform and win when you already know the result. The tears at the end s...