Meet AIU Faculty/Staff
Meet Professor Michele Turner: Changing Lives
Degrees:
- M.A., Royal College of Art 1989
- B.A. (Hons), North Staffordshire University, 1987
Out of the Classroom:
Before entering the mass communications field, Prof. Turner worked as a nanny, taught English in Italy, put cherries on cakes (yup, you read that right!), and was even a chambermaid at the Savoy Hotel.
Within the field of mass communications, Professor Michele Turner has worked in many stressful and complex areas, including directing and producing films, to name but a few. Still, these jobs never terrified her like teaching did when she first found herself at the head of a class.
"Directing is my first love, and even though there is huge pressure on you throughout principle photography, I enjoy it so much you don't notice until it's all over. Then your knees start to shake. With producing, you cannot go over budget and you are constantly watching every little detail of the film. You are ultimately responsible and end up breathing every molecule of the production day and night. Big stress! With teaching, I realized that what I said and how I responded to the students would change their lives forever. That is really quite the responsibility. It was tremendously hard work, but I loved it and have somehow never managed to leave the profession."
Changing lives (as a teacher) for 10 years now, Prof. Turner isn't terrified of the responsibility anymore, but rather thrives on it. "Satisfaction in teaching comes in so many different ways. Watching the students bloom into independent, creative and professional individuals; seeing a student's face when they get positive feedback after they have put their heart and soul into a project; knowing that what we do as a team will alter their future for the better. It's such an amazing experience. Again, I love it."
"I can't believe how lucky the AIU London students are in comparison to other universities: the small class sizes, the industry-standard facilities and the dedicated faculty. There is a real sense of community within the departments. It isn't just a place of learning or work here, but somewhere likeminded people come together to exchange ideas. I guess that is the traditional concept of education, but this feels more like I am spending time with people I really want to be with, not just earning a crust."
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