A Conversation With... Mr Peter Jasper
He's not just a teacher, but also a bellringer and traveller! This week's interesting "A Conversation With..." features our new Head of Physics, Mr Peter Jasper. In this week's feature, Mr Jasper gives us a quick lesson on campanology, as well as his take on the age-old physics question - how will the universe end?
What is your role and how long have you been at Shiplake?
I've been at Shiplake since the start of term and I am the Head of Physics. I am responsible for ensuring that physics lessons remain exciting and interesting, and everybody does well in them and gets good exam results too!
What were you doing before joining Shiplake?
Before Shiplake, I was the Head of Physics at a large comprehensive school in Tilehurst on the other side of Reading.
What inspired you to pursue a career in education?
Before teaching, I was working as a chartered accountant in London and after being made redundant, I realised that I was rather missing being involved in science. After a friend suggested that I should consider teaching, I applied for a scholarship with the Institute of Physics to train to teach, and completed my PGCE at Oxford.
What is a day in the life for you?
When I'm not at Shiplake, I enjoy meeting up with friends, going out for walks in the Chilterns, and finding a nice pub at the end to enjoy a pint of real ale.
Campanology... how does one get involved in something like that and what have been some of your highlights from doing it?
In fact, a campanologist is somebody who studies bells. Contrary to popular belief, the people who ring bells usually just call themselves bellringers. I got into ringing because both my parents did it, but you don't need to have family connections to get involved. If you go to any church in the country when you hear bells ringing, the local bellringers will be happy to teach you for free. Shiplake itself is one of the few schools in the country with its own set of bells so maybe one day, there may be a school band to ring the bells for chapel!
My personal highlights have been ringing the bells at Windsor Castle for various state occasions, and coaching the "Bucks and Berks Young Ringers" - an U18 team - to come third in a national competition.
In a recent physics lesson, pupils were asking non-physicists, 'how will the universe end?'. As a physicist yourself, where do you weigh in on the matter?
I'm going to have to be a bit boring with that one. As a physicist, like everybody else, I don't know. As far as we know, matter attracts to other matter because of gravity. Therefore, I like the idea that the universe would eventually attract in on itself like a huge collapsing star and then explode like a supernova. This would then, in my view, neatly explain why the Big Bang happened where a previous incarnation of the universe collapsed and exploded again. However, this idea is in conflict with the data... I can't use it to explain why the universe is accelerating its expansion, it should be slowing down!
What does the future hold for you?
I've always been a keen traveller so I'm looking forward to the summer when I hope to make a lap of the Baltic Sea travelling through six different countries. I'll have to let you know what cold beetroot soup (a Lithuanian delicacy) tastes like!