A Conversation With... Mrs Thomas

As we bid farewell to another half term, we had A Conversation With... Mrs Keli Thomas, Teacher of Art and all-round lovely lady. Mrs Thomas joined Shiplake in September last year and is coming to the end of her first year with us. 

What does your average day entail?

I typically start the school day at 7.30am in the Art Office; checking emails and catching up with the art ladies. Then I will get ready for the day’s lessons before going to assembly or chapel. My teaching day is always very varied as I teach all year groups, all of which are doing difference projects and materials. This could consist of painting, clay, painting, drawing or wire, all of which I thoroughly enjoy! I also love working with Julie Brooks again, as I used to work with her at a school I previously worked at so it’s lovely to be back working with her, as well as all of the art and photography teachers. 

What have you found most challenging about your first year of teaching at Shiplake?

The thing I’ve found most challenging this year would definitely be starting somewhere new and learning everybody’s names. I am absolutely terrible at remembering names, which is particularly problematic when you’re meeting a lot of people at the same time! I have learned all the names of the students I teach, but I do apologise to everyone else!

Would you rather be able to fly or turn invisible, and why?

Oh I would love to be able to fly as I think it would be so much fun. I think if you were invisible then you would end up seeing stuff you were not supposed to see and also wouldn’t want to see.

If you were to be drawn, painted or sculpted, which artist would you chose to capture you?

Gustav Klimt is the person who I would love to paint me as he’s such an interesting artist. I love his use of colour, especially gold, and flowers and patterns. A lot of his work is really feminine and I love that his female subjects are often painted in dresses, as I am also always wearing a dress! I would love to have a Gustav Klimt painting of myself, and it would be worth a lot of money too!

If you could spend the day living life as any artist, (again, dead or alive), who would it be?

Yayoi Kusama is crazy! She uses loads of spots and bright colours and she is one of the most renowned artists at the moment because of her distinct style. I’d love to spend a day thinking how she thinks and seeing through her eyes.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned about Shiplake College?

I think that coming from a state school, I’ve been so impressed by how happy the staff are and how well everyone knows one another. It’s clear to see that everybody is here for the right reasons. I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is about how tight the Shiplake community is and also how important that is. It’s like coming to a little village everyday! The relationships between the staff members reflect really well on the pupils too, because most of our pupils are the same and they will say ‘good morning’ and ask how your day is going.

What does the future hold for Mrs Thomas?

I’m really excited to taking my Year 10 pupils into Year 11, and my Year 11 pupils into the Sixth Form. I’m really looking forward to what they’ll come up with. I’m really looking forward to the next year, as now I’ve done a year here, I can kind of see what’s coming. In the long term, I’d love to have kids of my own someday.