Nazeem Hussain, comedian:
Mr Cogo was just the sort of teacher that, like he loved his job.
His passion definitely ignites, which is a weird thing to say because he was a chemistry teacher that I had 20 years ago.
My name's Nazeem Hussain. I'm a standup comedian, and I'm here at Melbourne High School, my old school, to talk about Mr Cogo.
I think he needs like a character reference. He was a really good teacher.
Mr Cogo, teacher:
My name is Peter Cogo. I'm a chemistry science teacher.
I've been teaching for 40 years and it doesn't seem like 40 years because I love doing it.
Nazeem:
I remember one piece of advice Mr Cogo gave me.
You've got to do things that you enjoy, and I could see that he was doing the job that he enjoyed.
Mr Cogo:
Yeah, I always give that advice. Do something that you enjoy doing, that you're passionate about.
Nazeem:
Hello, Mr Cogo, how are you? Haven't aged at all.
Mr Cogo:
You look exactly the same, apart from the beard.
Nazeem:
I've got grey hairs actually.
If I had a piece of advice for Mr Cogo, it'd be give hair a go.
There are lots of wig shops out there. I didn't expect you to see this.
You're in your twilight years, mate. Get some hair.
Mr Cogo:
What does comedy and teaching have in common? You've got to engage the audience.
Every year I have a new group of students, which means I can tell the same old daggy jokes.
I remember Nazeem in class in Year 10. He was a funny guy then.
He had those eyes. As soon as you saw those eyes light up, you knew he was going to say something funny.
Mr Cogo:
I took my family to see Nazeem during the International Comedy Festival.
Nazeem:
Seeing Mr Cogo in the crowd was immensely flattering. Like I'd impressed my teacher. That completely blew my mind. I felt like a kid again.
Mr Cogo:
I'd been saying for years to my 2 kids: I taught Nazeem.
Here I am 40 years later and I'm still teaching. And because it was something I realized I loved.
Hey Nazeem, have you thought about being a teacher?
Nazeem:
I think I would love being a teacher. To excite kids about learning things is a real skill, and if you can do that – like that's a superpower.
I find it interesting that you talk about me being a good teacher because I could tell stories, which is what you... that's your trick.
Mr Cogo:
But your comedy routine is often taking an idea and then building a story around it. So it's the same skill, just in a different context.
Nazeem:
We should swap careers for a week.
And I don't know, like if teachers ever forget that they're having an actual impact on kids. But now I'm an adult and I'm a dad, and I still feel and remember his impact.
Mr Cogo:
I feel proud that I can do something about informing people and hopefully empowering them. That's what it's all about.
[End of transcript]
Updated