Busking, bars and blackboards

Published On Tue 15 Nov 2016 by Grant Hill

Primary teacher Adam Fortune will graduate from the University of Dundee this week – just a couple of hundreds of yards from where he used to busk during his student days in the city.

Adam (27), originally from Campbeltown but who now lives in Perth, will receive his Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Education (PGDE) at the University’s Winter Graduation ceremony on the morning of Thursday, 17^th November.

During his undergraduate days in Dundee, Adam would spend the weekends playing his guitar and singing to crowds of shoppers who passed by his pitch by the popular dragon statue on High Street. A keen folk singer and musician, he also performed as a solo artist and in bands across Scotland before discovering his true vocation. Teaching didn’t force Adam to hang up his “axe”, however, and he regularly plays and sings with his pupils at Oakbank Primary School in Perth to enliven lessons.

He said, “I graduated from Abertay University in 2011 but it wasn’t a great jobs market at that time and I ended up moving to Glasgow and working in bars as well as keeping up the music but not really knowing what I wanted to do.

“Eventually I went to the careers advice centre in Glasgow to see what I could do with the qualifications I had. The advisor asked me what subjects I had liked at school. I said that I had enjoyed English and had considered becoming an English teacher. They explained that I would need to obtain an English degree before starting my postgrad training but said I was qualified to start training as a primary teacher.

“I hadn’t even seen that as an option before but started thinking about it and realised that I would be much better suited to teaching at primary rather than secondary school. I went back the next day and told the advisor that’s what I wanted to do.”

Adam’s girlfriend Kerrie was by now living in Perth so he took the decision to move there and try to gain some experience of working with children before putting together his application to study primary education at Dundee. He was successful and before long was appearing live on the STV show Scotland Tonight to discuss the importance of teachers inspiring for their pupils.

“It was a bizarre experience,” said Adam. “I saw this call on twitter asking if anyone knew any engaging or inspiring teachers. I started discussing teachers I had at school but the producer noticed I was a trainee teacher myself and called me up. We had a chat and he said, ‘I can tell you’re really passionate about this, how do you fancy coming on the show tonight?’ The next thing I knew I was on a train to Glasgow then on live TV talking about my experiences when I had only been teaching for a few months!”

Adam had just completed his placement at Oakbank at the time and he is now working his probationary year there. He has settled into the role well and enjoys working with the Primary 3 children he teaches. But is he ever tempted to give it all up for the life of a troubadour?

“I don’t have the time to record or perform as much as I used to but I still meet up with the guys I used to play with and we play in a covers band,” he said. “I just love playing music. That’s why I used to busk when I was a student. Any extra money was handy but it was more about getting experience of playing to people. I’ve busked all over – in Glasgow, Perth, Amsterdam and France.

“I’ve got absolutely no doubts that I’ve done the right thing though. It took me a while but I found what I really wanted to do. I’m absolutely loving teaching and the kids are great. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Adam is one of around 1000 students who will graduate over three ceremonies at the Caird Hall on Thursday and Friday of this week. All the Graduation action can be followed on social media via #uodgrad.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 384768
Mobile: 07854 953277
Email: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk