Chris teaches Visual Art, and is responsible for School Aesthetic at ICHK Secondary.

Why did you want to become a teacher?

I am passionate about art and think teaching is a good way of sharing my passion and knowledge.

What is your first memory from school?

Sitting quietly in a classroom and paying attention to what the teacher said.

What makes a ‘good day’ at school?

A joyful day for me would be that students are totally engaged in their learning and brave enough to step outside their comfort zone to take creative risks.

If I walked into your classroom on a typical afternoon, what would I see going on?

For the senior classes (yr10-13), you will see students are absorbed in their own work and trying to think hard and develop their ideas.

What’s the funniest thing a child has ever said to you?

“Mrs Cook, where are you from? I can’t tell from your accent.”

What are your “trapped on a desert island” books or movies?

Books – Dostoevsky’s ‘Crime and Punishment’, Cao Xueqin’s ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’, Milan Kundera’s ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’, and a lot of books by Thomas Hardy and DH Lawrence.

Movies – ‘Boyhood’ by Richard Linklater, ‘Cinema Paradiso’ by Giuseppe Tornatore

What is the hardest thing about being a teacher?

Trying your best but sometimes students don’t respond.

What inspires you?

The beauty of art and nature.

What is your greatest accomplishment?

Seeing students creating some accomplished and outstanding work.