Mr. Crossley's Farewell

The following remarks were made by longtime Brentwood teacher Mr. Tony Crossley upon his retirement in June 2014. They say that every dog has its day … Woof! I would like to thank Mr. Wardrop for his kind remarks. I am not sure who he was talking about, but thanks all the same. I consider myself fortunate in surviving recent years in an enclosed office with Mr. Wardrop – dodging squash balls, watching the advance of the robots, and observing the disemboweling of melons with large kitchen knives. The Math Department is in safe, very capable hands.  I well remember my first day of teaching in a school in Manchester about a hundred years ago. A senior member of staff took me aside and shared a few words of wisdom to guide me in my teaching there:  1. Never try to break up fights on your own 2. Don’t bother giving homework; they never do it 3. Watch out for the little boy who likes to eat coal; and  4. On no account visit the student washrooms. I have found that advice to be invaluable throughout my career. George Bernard Shaw once famously observed that “Youth is wasted on the young.” But then, he was something of an old curmudgeon, and he wasn’t a teacher, and most importantly, he wasn’t a teacher at Brentwood College. If he HAD been, then I suspect his opinion would have been somewhat different, thus depriving generations to follow of a comforting platitude as we approach old age.  But I AM a teacher, and have been a teacher for quite some time. Enough time to appreciate that the young possess an abundance of curiosity, joie de vivre and a contagious enthusiasm for whatever lies around the next corner.  As was said in the classic movie Goodbye, Mr. Chips, “I don’t see how you could ever get old in a world that’s always young”.  Teachers are fortunate indeed to spend our days in such an environment.  Teachers who teach at Brentwood are among the most fortunate of all. Brentwood demands a great deal of its faculty in terms of time and commitment – my very patient wife once said in jest that in 1981 I married both her and Brentwood College.  This isn’t far from the truth, and I am appreciative that Val has been unfailingly supportive during my three-plus decades here, and has also loved this school. I have also been fortunate to serve under three very different but all remarkable and supportive Heads of School. If I could summarise in one word my classroom experience here, I would say that it has been, most of all, fun. Perhaps fun is not always the word that springs to mind for the tormented souls who view my favourite subject as an affront to human rights, or those who have grown faint while struggling to correctly answer the ‘get to go to lunch’ question, but fun for me!   My lasting memories of this school will always center on the collective positive spirit of the students, and my classes this year have been especially rewarding. I have also been constantly amazed by the dedication and creative energy of some truly inspirational colleagues. Setting off for work each day has been, almost without exception, sheer joy, and I think anyone who comes to the end of his career and can say that has been a very, very lucky individual.  I wish, with sincerity and gratitude, the same for all of you.   Hasta la vista.  Mr. Tony Crossley, TXThe following remarks were made by longtime Brentwood teacher Mr. Tony Crossley upon his retirement in June 2014. They say that every dog has its day … Woof! I would like to thank Mr. Wardrop for his kind remarks. I am not sure who he was talking about, but thanks all the same. I consider myself fortunate in surviving recent years in an enclosed office with Mr. Wardrop – dodging squash balls, watching the advance of the robots, and observing the disemboweling of melons with large kitchen knives. The Math Department is in safe, very capable hands.  I well remember my first day of teaching in a school in Manchester about a hundred years ago. A senior member of staff took me aside and shared a few words of wisdom to guide me in my teaching there:  1. Never try to break up fights on your own 2. Don’t bother giving homework; they never do it 3. Watch out for the little boy who likes to eat coal; and  4. On no account visit the student washrooms. I have found that advice to be invaluable throughout my career. George Bernard Shaw once famously observed that “Youth is wasted on the young.” But then, he was something of an old curmudgeon, and he wasn’t a teacher, and most importantly, he wasn’t a teacher at Brentwood College. If he HAD been, then I suspect his opinion would have been somewhat different, thus depriving generations to follow of a comforting platitude as we approach old age.  But I AM a teacher, and have been a teacher for quite some time. Enough time to appreciate that the young possess an abundance of curiosity, joie de vivre and a contagious enthusiasm for whatever lies around the next corner.  As was said in the classic movie Goodbye, Mr. Chips, “I don’t see how you could ever get old in a world that’s always young”.  Teachers are fortunate indeed to spend our days in such an environment.  Teachers who teach at Brentwood are among the most fortunate of all. Brentwood demands a great deal of its faculty in terms of time and commitment – my very patient wife once said in jest that in 1981 I married both her and Brentwood College.  This isn’t far from the truth, and I am appreciative that Val has been unfailingly supportive during my three-plus decades here, and has also loved this school. I have also been fortunate to serve under three very different but all remarkable and supportive Heads of School. If I could summarise in one word my classroom experience here, I would say that it has been, most of all, fun. Perhaps fun is not always the word that springs to mind for the tormented souls who view my favourite subject as an affront to human rights, or those who have grown faint while struggling to correctly answer the ‘get to go to lunch’ question, but fun for me!   My lasting memories of this school will always center on the collective positive spirit of the students, and my classes this year have been especially rewarding. I have also been constantly amazed by the dedication and creative energy of some truly inspirational colleagues. Setting off for work each day has been, almost without exception, sheer joy, and I think anyone who comes to the end of his career and can say that has been a very, very lucky individual.  I wish, with sincerity and gratitude, the same for all of you.   Hasta la vista.  Mr. Tony Crossley, TX