No . 133 The Trusty Servant
through France on the paradox of Giffen goods – however often he delivered them . But otherwise , travelling with Michael was an amusing education .
Michael was a wise schoolmaster . He loved looking after the eccentric , the gauche , the foreign and the funny . He championed his pupils . He knew about their sport . He was unshockable . He thought laterally about delinquent behaviour . He taught me to try to do the same . For example , if a boy reports that his study has been ransacked , ask yourself whether he might , for some reason , have wrecked it himself . He had a fund of such suggestions to share – and share he did .
Michael as College Tutor in 1971
Like most dedicated teachers , Michael had limited time for the presence of academic inspectors in his classroom . There was one memorable exception . An inspection team came along in the late 1990s , led by the remarkable Beryl Fawcett . She happened to visit , unannounced , a div hour of Michael ’ s when he was teaching
Wagner . The div – and Beryl – were treated to extensive passages from Parsifal sung , unaccompanied and from memory , by Michael . Beryl was astounded , impressed – and very happy .
Michael was almost as fond of Samuel Johnson as he was of John Aubrey . I ’ m sure that many of us will feel the force of this remark of Johnson ’ s about an early mentor of his own :
‘ Such was his amplitude of learning , and such his copiousness of communication , that it may be doubted whether a day now passes in which I have not some advantage from his friendship .’
Michael the teacher of Economics , by Tom Lawson :
‘ Kreplach ’, exclaimed in Michael ’ s piercing tenor , was quite an introduction to his views on the craft of the classroom . He would explain left-field techniques and why he used them to new dons in departmental meetings . Meetings were always in the Wykeham Arms , along with plentiful crisps which he ordered from the bemused bar-staff by demanding ‘ the most disgusting flavours you have ’. Kreplach is a traditional Jewish dumpling all folded up . He instructed his classes that they might shout ‘ Kreplach ’ at any moment in any lesson and whatever he was doing he would unpack the topic from first principles , like unfolding the dumpling .
This is an example of the core principle of his Economics teaching , and his schoolmastering as a whole : everything was solely for the benefit of the pupils . All work had to be marked thoroughly by the very next lesson . We developed good practice as a result of his tough love , and the pupils got a feedback loop which was fresh and efficient . And , if a boy did not understand something , then you had to teach it again , and better . An economic theory not learned and fully understood was a stain on the teacher not the pupil . He had pet topics , mind you , some of which were not on the syllabus for a good reason ( hard to grasp ), but he would insist on instructing the children anyway if he deemed it important .
We disagreed politely over his dirigiste proclivities but as the manager of the department he miraculously created a timetable where every pupil over two years had all four of the teachers so that any leanings in this very politicised subject were ironed out , and they could enjoy open challenge from a variety of standpoints . In truth he rarely resorted to proper difficult maths in departmental discussions , knowing perhaps that we three PPEists would not cope , but brilliantly he would insist that we discussed recent developments , elegant theories , and different ways to teach in almost every departmental meeting .
He was a brilliant economist , a teacher who put the pupils first , and ( though he would be appalled by the expression ) always looking to progress his pedagogy . There are generations of OWs who are benefiting from his Economics teaching every day .
Michael the games-player , by Nick MacKinnon :
Michael Nevin , himself , God knows , no slouch , once said to me , ‘ Fontes coaches the Sen Colts A in Short Half , Commoners in Common Time , and in Cloister Time he runs the tennis . That ’ s quite a contribution .’ Between school and Oxford , Fontes had played as goalkeeper for a semiprofessional team in the French leagues , so his understanding of soccer was as great as anyone on the staff , except Geoff Hewitson , whose match reports he relished . While he loved the technicalities (‘ Look at my Colts . See how often they pass
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