BY day, Matt Turner stands in front of a class of secondary school pupils, trying to shape their futures by arming them with business and IT skills.

But by night, he takes on a completely different crowd – by braving the unforgiving glare of stand-up comedy audiences across Derbyshire.

Matt, who teaches at Mill Hill School, in Ripley, started touring the Derbyshire comedy circuit two years ago and is rising through the ranks.

He is now hoping to share his experiences in a series of side-splitting stand-up lessons, teaching others how to get the best laughs and, most importantly, how to handle hecklers.

And Matt is hoping his tips will convince other budding comedians to take a deep breath, grab the microphone and climb on to the stage themselves.

The 36-year-old said: "When I first started out, it was one of those old stories where my mates were always saying 'you're funny, you should do stand up', so eventually I decided to just take the plunge and give it a go.

"I'd already performed in a couple of gigs while I was at college in Sheffield and I think that's where I got the comedy bug.

"I started with open mic nights, playing to small crowds in the back rooms or upstairs of pubs, then as time went on I started getting bigger gigs with larger crowds, which was pretty scary."

But when Matt took his first tentative steps into the world of comedy he said there was hardly any information available to newcomers.

The business and IT teacher said: "I was really keen to get going but I had to do all my own digging to find out where to begin, what venues to book and how to book them.

"There wasn't a lot of information out there for newcomers to the scene, so I'm hoping my classes will make it easier for people to break into stand-up."

Matt's classes, which will be open to up to 10 comedians at a time, will include tips on how to write original material and prepare it all to showcase in front of a lively crowds.

"One of the hardest parts is remembering your material and making sure you start and end a session on a strong joke," he said.

"There have been times when I've put my all into a gag I thought was hilarious and the crowd has just stared back at me, which is absolutely awful the first few times.

"Then you get people who love to heckle, so you've got to have your comebacks ready.

"But one of the top tips, for me, is to have a bank of about eight or 10 jokes that you know are guaranteed to get a laugh – then, when one of your jokes goes wrong, you're ready to pick it back up again. The worst thing you can do is crumble."

When he started performing in comedy clubs, one of Matt's biggest fears was that the children at Mill Hill School, in Peasehill, would find out and become his toughest crowd.

But as his comedy career has gone from strength to strength, he has let a few of them in on the secret.

Matt, from Colwick, Nottinghamshire, said: "I tried my hardest to keep it under wraps but, as you might expect, it wasn't long before it got out.

"The kids are really supportive and they've proved to be a useful tool for testing out new material. You never know – I might inspire one of them to take up comedy one day."

But in terms of what he hopes for his comedy graduates when the sessions are finished, Matt said he was keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

He said: "I'm not saying I can produce the next Jimmy Carr or Peter Kay overnight but if I can build the confidence of a few comedians and give them that extra little push to get on stage, I'll be over the moon."

Although the first sessions will be held in Nottingham in July, Matt said he is also looking for venues across Derbyshire to share his expertise.

For more information on Matt's upcoming classes, visit www.friendsofthemirth.com