2011: Fran Martin

Fran Martin worked at the University of Exeter, as a geography teacher and researcher until recently, when she became an independent consultant.

Here's a story about Fran from the GA News 2005. These documents are quite ephemeral, and I am grateful to Aaron Bohlman from the GA for identifying them and letting me have access to them when I was last in Solly Street which seems like a long time ago now.

I was present at Fran's Presidential lecture, where she spoke about the work she had done. Rob Morris was also present, and he gave his thoughts on it here at the time:
http://lodgemeister.blogspot.com/2012/04/ga-conference-lost-bag-and-pre-term.html

Fran's conference theme was Geographies of Difference.

This is an important theme and one which persists of course to this day, with plenty more that all organisations including the GA can do to consider inclusivity and the number of people of colour involved in key roles, as well as issue of gender and representation.

Fran kindly filled in the Google Form that I sent round to all living Presidents and filled me in on some useful additional details for the blog post here.

Fran was born in the 1950s, and educated at Wycombe Abbey school, before heading for Cambridge University.

She had a career as a primary teacher followed by teacher educator and latterly academic/researcher, which was her job when she became GA President in 2011. 

(this was the year when I ended my GA employment sadly)

Fran has also written a number of books for Early Years and Primary geography, including one published by former GA President Chris Kington.

Bob Digby, who was to follow Fran as GA President worked with Fran for a while at Brunel University. He told me of his time there:

"The Brunel years were enjoyable, fun and challenging - just what a job should be. I worked with Fran Martin and Graham Yates, each of whom I love dearly, across a range of primary and secondary courses: undergraduate as well as post-graduate. I worked with school colleagues from a range of school types which were as varied and as interesting as our students. I observed PE lessons (anyone who knows me will splutter at this point) as well as lessons in Geography, English, RE ... whatever teachers taught, I observed. The School of Education was like a school in that it was a real community. PGCE students spend nine months with you and they're gone; with four-year undergraduates you get to know them and how they think just as you would with students in a school. It was rich, exciting, and fun."

Of her chosen conference theme, Fran told me:

"My theme was 'Geographies of Difference'. I chose it because it resonated with my research at the time - Global Partnerships as Sites of Mutual Learning - I learnt a lot about different ways of knowing, critical interculturalism and coloniality and wanted to bring some of that knowledge to my focus for the year. 

I have been a member of the GA since 1989. I had written articles and books for the GA and been an active member of both the Teacher Educators Working Group and the Early Years and Primary Committee. 

I was editor of Primary Geography 2005-2009 and then a member of the editorial board 2009 - 2017."

She feels the GA matters very much to educators:

"I became involved when I was county advisory teacher for the humanities in Buckinghamshire. I had not known of its existence before then. I initially found it to be an invaluable resource. Later I found I had things to say that contributed to that resource. It has been a great professional support and enhanced my career."

Of her time as President she said:

"I continue to have feedback that people loved the conference and still use the pieces I wrote for 'Primary Geography' and 'Teaching Geography' in their work. I tried to live out my values and the values inherent in the theme of geographies of difference and found mixed success in that regard." 

Fran about to speak, with members of the supportive Primary community on the front row...

Simon Catling said of her Presidency that she brought a wider awareness and context through her links and research in intercultural understanding.

Fran has continued her involvement with the Primary Geography community and regularly attends and presents at the Charney Manor Primary Conference and was also involved in the creation of many issues of 'Primary Geography' journal and contributed articles and other content over the years as mentioned previously in her role as Editor. Current work explores ideas of decolonisation, which is particularly significant at the present time.

She has carried out research in the UK, West Africa, India and Canada, particularly with Fatima Pirbhai-Illich from the University of Regina, with whom she has presented at the Charney Manor Primary Conference.

There is a link between Fran and my own chosen conference theme of 'Everyday Geographies'.

In the Autumn 2006 issue of 'Primary Geographer', Fran wrote a piece called 'Everyday Geography' which remains influential to this day. Around this time, the GA was also using the phrase 'Living Geography'.

Everyday Geography  encouraged Primary educators and students to remember and recognise that they think geographically in the course of their daily life.

https://www.geography.org.uk/Journal-Issue/cdb38e75-8b48-48c4-9855-63c555582323

Images copyright:Bryan Ledgard and the GA (from Flickr account)

References

Martin, Fran. “The Geographies of Difference.” Teaching Geography, vol. 38, no. 1, 2013, pp. 10–13. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23756981

Twitter: https://twitter.com/globalfran

Fran's profile on ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fran-Martin-3 

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=sec5vcAAAAAJ&hl=en

Decolonising geography work: https://decolonisegeography.com/explore

Article:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314169655_Places_spaces_and_boundaries_A_critical_look_at_the_relational_in_geography_classrooms 

'Caring for our World' - co-written with Paula Owens

https://www.geography.org.uk/Shop/CARING-FOR-OUR-WORLD/9781843772118 

As always, any memories of Fran and her time at the GA welcome.

1995: Mike Morrish

Mike Morrish was one of the few people to be a teacher at the time of his Presidency: at The Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree, Hertfordshire.

As we have seen during the many posts added to the blog there have only been a handful of other people who were in that position, which is interesting given the particular role of the Association in supporting geography teachers and developing their craft and pedagogy. This is partly a product of the time commitments involved in getting involved to this degree with the GA and its running.

Mike Morrish is known to many teachers of a certain age for his books, which I used when teaching back in the day, including the one pictured later in the post on Development, which was excellent as I recall, although the phrase 'Third World' gives away its age a little.

There is an excellent biography of Mike's involvement with both the school and also the Geographical Association in an issue of the school magazine.

The magazine is called 'Skylark' and an issue from 2008 features an interview with Mike.
It describes his early career when he rode a motorbike to work. He was famously organised apparently with piles of exercise books ready for marking. I can't say I'm quite as organised.

Michael was born in London. He enjoyed camping with the scouts and a trip to the Austrian Alps gave him a taste for travel. He studied for a degree in Geography at Exeter University.

The 'Living Geography of China' was the subject of Mike's Presidential Address. This continues in the tradition of other GA Presidents who were interested in the country: notably Percy Maude Roxby.

When taking over as President, Mike was Head of Geography at The Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree, Hertfordshire which makes him that rare thing: someone who was teaching when they became the President - quite a few had previous experience but had moved on to other careers or retired before they actually took over as GA President.

Book cover of one of Mike's books here. I remember using this to teach back in the day.

Mike is one of the assessors of the Rex Walford Award, and also wrote an obituary of Rex. He shared a passion for amateur dramatics and performance with Rex as well, which is where he first met him in fact.

He has also written a number of the GeoActive resources, which are popular with schools.



Mike kindly told me further information about him and his career by filling in the questionnaire that I sent to all living Presidents. The following information was provided by Mike.

Born: 1948, Finchley, North London

Education: 

Orange Hill Grammar School, Edgware, N. London

BA in Geography, Exeter University 1967 - 1970 

PGCE, Leicester University 1973/74

Career:
Marketing executive, Lever Brother Limited 1970 - 1973 

Secondary school geography teacher: Guthlaxton College, Leics. 1974 - 1975 

Haberdashers' Aske's Boys School, Elstree 1975 - 1983 

Head of Geography, Alleyn's School, Dulwich 1983 - 1995 

Head of Geography, Haberdashers' Aske's Boys School 1995 - 2008 

Author/editor of geographical textbooks, resources and magazine articles 1980 - 2018

He told me more about his Presidential year and theme:

'Living Geography' - I wanted to emphasise both the vital, dynamic and contemporary nature of the subject, and also the relevance it has to the way everyone lives their life. 

I attended GA branch lectures (Harrow) and annual conferences (LSE, London) from early on in my teaching career and joined the GA when Rex Walford recruited me as the GA's first Publicity Officer in 1982. I had known Rex Walford since my sixth form years in Edgware in 1966/67 through involvement in youth drama.

Mike held a number of roles within the GA and feels that it is particularly important for people to engage with it, and become part of the wider subject community. 

He told me:

"The GA was an important influence on me as a young teacher, and a valuable support in terms of information, resources, advice, representation and curriculum development. Once I became directly involved with its work, it opened up a wide network of like-minded individuals, both academics and fellow teachers, who shared my enthusiasm for the subject and a desire to enhance its position in the school curriculum."

My roles were: 

Publicity Officer 1982 - 85

Editor of GA News 1985-89

Chair of Worldwise Quiz National Committee 1983 -93

Junior VP 1993/4

Senior VP 1994/5

President 1995/6

Past President 1996/7

Mike was featured in the images that Sheila Jones sent me from the 1993 Centenary conference.

Here he is on the front cover of GA News in 1995.

Of his GA Presidential year, Mike said:

The joint focus of my year was the national Land Use UK survey carried out by schools, in conjunction with the GA's first Geography Action Week. Preparations for these had been going on for the preceding two years. My main memories are of the many meetings that the preparations involved, and the crucial role of Rex Walford in bringing these joint projects to fruition. Of course, the Annual Conference at Southampton University in 1996 was an exciting end to the year, especially delivering my Presidential Lecture (on China).

References

Mike's pieces for the TES in 1996-2000: https://www.tes.com/author/mike-morrish

MORRISH, MIKE. “The Living Geography of China.” Geography, vol. 82, no. 1, 1997, pp. 3–16. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40572861.

https://issuu.com/bainespsa/docs/a31822_haberaske_skylark_2008/122 - biography and school history - links with Rex Walford

Personal communication thanks to Google Form and emails.

Main image of Mike taken at the official 'opening' of Solly St in 2010 by Bryan Ledgard.
Copyright: Bryan Ledgard / Geographical Association

All other memories and images of Mike and his time as GA President welcome.