Meet the team - Anna Szpakowsk

I run the global learning webinars with teachers when they're first learning how to use Lyfta. I am also designing and delivering professional development opportunities for teachers, schools and MATs as part of the Lyfta subscription.

Working with teachers to develop their practice.

After graduating, I worked as a co-educator in two large secondary schools. Having gained an insight into how schools functioned, I decided I wanted to complete my teacher training. For eleven years I worked as a secondary school English teacher. As well as that, I took on additional responsibility by working with NQTs to facilitate their induction year. I also worked as a pedagogy leader and as a lead for professional learning in my last post where I designed and implemented professional learning opportunities for teaching staff. That's why I've developed such a passion for designing and leading educational opportunities for teachers.

Dog's Best Friend. I have a little dog myself and I love animals. The first time I watched the documentary film in this storyworld, I was in floods of tears! But, I think what's so wonderful about the way it shows the companionship people have with dogs.

I'm excited about Becoming Me which has just been released. I think anything that can engage young people in respectful and inquisitive discussion about faith is a good thing.

I love food! This is too difficult a question to answer. I really do love trying all sorts. That being said, my current fad is Trinidadian cuisine. My partner and I have recently discovered a Trinidadian food stall which sells hot sauce and fresh food, at a market close to where we live. It's delicious: a great balance of hot, sweet and sharp.

I visited Kenya when I was 25 years old. I spent some time camping and some time trekking Mount Kenya. It was a time that I felt most at peace and at one with nature. I remember waking up one morning and finding monkeys outside of my tent. I also remember summiting Mount Kenya and, despite not having showered for seven days, it was a pretty spectacular moment.

I love words and I particularly like words which capture a lot of meaning within them. Two of my favourites are diaphanous and penultimate. The word diaphanous, I learnt when reading On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan and it means light and translucent material. I also used to love introducing the word 'penultimate' to my English classes and teaching them to use it rather than saying the one before the last.