We Now Have to Call Him Sir… Apparently

We have some rather exciting news at Flip Flash Learning.

Jonathan Lewis, Founder and Director of Flip Flash Learning, has been awarded a Fellowship of the International Forum of Inclusion Practitioners (IFIP).

This is a genuinely fantastic achievement and recognises Jonathan’s ongoing work in inclusive education, innovative learning and developing ways to make education more accessible for learners of all abilities.

We are, of course, incredibly proud of him.

There is, however, one rather important question…

What on earth do we call him now?

Apparently, he is officially a Fellow.

Which sounds very impressive.

It also means that those of us who have known him simply as Jonathan for years are now having to adjust to the possibility that we should be addressing him as Sir Jonathan.

We haven't quite worked out the protocol yet.

Do we stand when he enters the office?

Should we bow?

Does he now require someone to carry his coffee for him?

Actually, perhaps we shouldn't let him carry the coffee.

Jonathan has a rather impressive talent for spilling coffee, so giving him more responsibility in that department probably isn't wise. His visual impairment may mean that finding things can occasionally be a challenge, but somehow he has always managed to find the sofa when it's time for one of his “very important strategic thinking naps.”

And then there are the snacks.

Jonathan has developed a highly sophisticated system for disposing of the evidence whenever he has been enjoying something from the naughty snack cupboard.

Empty packets mysteriously disappear.

Bins remain suspiciously empty.

And yet, somehow, the evidence is always eventually discovered.

We suspect that becoming a Fellow may mean he will now expect us to refer to these activities as “postgraduate research.”

But behind all the coffee spills, sofa naps and suspiciously disappearing snack packets is someone who has spent years genuinely passionate about helping children learn.

Jonathan's Fellowship recognises his commitment to inclusive practice and his work developing structured, multisensory approaches that support learners with different needs.

That philosophy is at the heart of Flipflash Learning and our 5x5 grid and active recall methodology, designed to support executive function, spatial memory and multisensory learning.

So, whilst we may take the mickey out of him for becoming a Fellow, the truth is that this is a wonderful and thoroughly deserved recognition of the work he has put into inclusive education.

We couldn't be prouder.

Although we're still not sure about Sir Jonathan, It may take some time to get used to.

Especially if we're expected to curtsy every time he spills his coffee!