Joanne joined Eastern Education Group 30 years ago, starting her career as a part-time lecturer while working as salon manager, and has remained a dedicated member of staff with the Group ever since. Over the years, Joanne has experienced firsthand the shift in technology used for teaching resources, and has achieved many proud milestones, including being shortlisted as a finalist for The Trevor Sorbie Award for Creativity and Innovation in 2023. Joanne also reflects on the memories she has shared with colleagues and how these positively impacted her time at the Group.
Tell us about your history with Eastern Education Group and some of the achievements you are most proud of?
I started a career in lecturing 30 years ago, so I have seen a shift in teaching resources over the course of this time. There were overhead projectors with acetate film slides which were handwritten (the markers were permanent, so you had to start over if you made any errors), there were floppy disks for word documents, and big TVs on wheels that had to be booked in advance for showing videos.
I’m proud that our tradition of annual competition work has lasted from the College’s early days through to the present day within hairdressing. This has helped me and my colleagues develop, and has raised technical skills and creativity among our students. We are well known within the FE community for quality training and excellent hairdressing, and we have grown from local successes of competition work through to a regional and national reputation. Last year, one of our students gained a bronze medal in hairdressing for World Skills UK, the vocational Olympics. The first ever medalist from West Suffolk College. It was such a proud moment for me professionally, as the support of the College in these activities has kept my focus and motivation for hairdressing and the success of our students at the forefront of my career and the contentment of staying amongst an amazing team with hair, beauty, barbering and nail artistry.
Over the past 30 years, I have worked with some of the most dedicated, dynamic, kind and funny colleagues, which makes coming to work an absolute joy. We have socialised over the years, spent time on road trips and at holiday homes. A real team spirit here at WSC.
I still keep in touch with colleagues from my early days as a lecturer who loves hearing about our successes.
I feel my role has been about student development technically, but most importantly the development of confidence and empowerment. The biggest satisfaction is bumping into ex-students who are successful stylists, salon owners or who didn’t continue hairdressing but have a positive and meaningful feeling about their time at college, which is priceless!
Why did you decide to join the Group?
I applied for part-time teaching to compliment my role as a salon manager, and then started my teacher training evening course.
Do you have any moments you would like to share from the course of your career here?
I’m still here today. I was shortlisted as a finalist for The Trevor Sorbie Award for Creativity and Innovation 2023. The shortlisting was made by some of the biggest names in our industry, who had trained and worked alongside Trevor. To attend the awards and have my name and college profile on the massive screens was a moving moment for me. I was also shortlisted by Hairdressers Journal for ‘Educator of the Year’ 2023, which felt like an Oscar moment amongst the big names. I felt that the longevity of my career at WSC and my ambitious pursuit for the development of my students was rewarded by being a finalist.
Do you have any advice or messages for future students and staff at Eastern Education Group?
The most important thing is to have skill in your area as an educator and to never stop learning and reflecting on your teaching practice.
