I really haven't had much time these days. Today, for instance, I had an English Teachers' meeting. To learn how to evaluate written compositions in our national exams for the 6-th graders. Not for the first time. And I probably (99% sure) won't be evaluating it this year. Okay...
The second part of the meeting was about things you can use in class. Like... the internet .. I've clicked most of those pages and others. And Google notebook... I didn't know about it before ... thanks! And.... AAaaand.... How to start a blog on Blogger. Yeah...
It's half past seven now and I'm tired. And for WHAT?
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
She made My Day
Who did? California Girl did.
She gave me this:
Aawww... I'm touched! Thank you so much! I'll pick a few bloggers later, not right now. In a few days, maybe. In the meantime, I'll just look at his picture every now and then, feeling glad that I got it. :D
Aawww... I'm touched! Thank you so much! I'll pick a few bloggers later, not right now. In a few days, maybe. In the meantime, I'll just look at his picture every now and then, feeling glad that I got it. :D
Monday, 4 May 2009
Lesson
They softened my heart today at that "music lesson". No it wasn't really a music lesson, it was an English one, as usually when I'm teaching.
The smartest girl in class who knows everything and has a comment on everything and to whom nobody is wise or clever enough (no one of the grown-ups, that is) and who would always do things differently and .. you know the type by now... said:
"Why can't all lessons be like this?" Wow!
They actually listened and figured out what I was trying to say, actually AGREED with me, geez! Are they the same kids? The ones that don't want to open their workbooks, textbooks or do their homework?
Not all of them write the answers, a few chat and don't know what we're doing, when I want a few answers , some are already protesting... Discussion? It starts fine, then... forget about it! Homework? Am I serious?
Okay, they are the same. Phew! I'm relieved. Aliens didn't abduct them and snatch their bodies, then.
By the end of the year I may use one or two more songs to do something like this. They do listen to good music after all. I have to give them credit for that. And since I have jut found out this kind of work is safe and won't change their personalities entirely, why not?
The smartest girl in class who knows everything and has a comment on everything and to whom nobody is wise or clever enough (no one of the grown-ups, that is) and who would always do things differently and .. you know the type by now... said:
"Why can't all lessons be like this?" Wow!
They actually listened and figured out what I was trying to say, actually AGREED with me, geez! Are they the same kids? The ones that don't want to open their workbooks, textbooks or do their homework?
Not all of them write the answers, a few chat and don't know what we're doing, when I want a few answers , some are already protesting... Discussion? It starts fine, then... forget about it! Homework? Am I serious?
Okay, they are the same. Phew! I'm relieved. Aliens didn't abduct them and snatch their bodies, then.
By the end of the year I may use one or two more songs to do something like this. They do listen to good music after all. I have to give them credit for that. And since I have jut found out this kind of work is safe and won't change their personalities entirely, why not?
Sunday, 3 May 2009
We don't need no...
After that wonderful week before this week off PLUS this week off it's finally time to go back to school. And I mean IT'S TIME. I'm getting so lazy...
The kids might (most of them probably do) feel the same way, maybe without that last statement (IT'S TIME).
So tomorrow we'll be preparing for that test on the 12th. How exciting! Yaay! Nooot.... And if they think that "Nooot...", I get that energy, too. I'd better think of something to put things in balance.
So I figured I might do something which might make them think of me as a weird teacher (Naaah, they probably think that already, may it be in one way or another) and play them a song I'm sure they can sing (Yes, I've heard them sing it!):
At 14, 15, some of them, I hope they're mature enough to get it. They love the song and I want them to understand why it is as it is. I think these young people attend a different kind of school and they have no need to reject it. I know - it's not always nice and easy, but neither is life. But it is far from what Roger Waters described in his interview in 1979:
And of course, that is not all we are going to do. They will have a worksheet to solve. To show me what they understand. And we WILL revise for the test.
I'll end this now and do some more googling - I mean, I know what "pink" means (isn't it obvious? :)), but what is "floyd"supposed to be?
OK, found it on this website: PINK FLOYD - taken from the names of two Georgia bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council - from the early days when the band saw itself as a blues band.
The kids might (most of them probably do) feel the same way, maybe without that last statement (IT'S TIME).
So tomorrow we'll be preparing for that test on the 12th. How exciting! Yaay! Nooot.... And if they think that "Nooot...", I get that energy, too. I'd better think of something to put things in balance.
So I figured I might do something which might make them think of me as a weird teacher (Naaah, they probably think that already, may it be in one way or another) and play them a song I'm sure they can sing (Yes, I've heard them sing it!):
We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it's just another brick in the wall.
All in all you're just another brick in the wall.
We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it's just another brick in the wall.
All in all you're just another brick in the wall.
When we grew up and went to school
There were certain teachers who would
Hurt the children in any way they could
By pouring their derision upon anything we did
And exposing every weakness
However carefully hidden by the kids
But in the town, it was well known
When they got home at night, their fat and
Psychopathic wives would thrash them
Within inches of their lives.
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it's just another brick in the wall.
All in all you're just another brick in the wall.
We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it's just another brick in the wall.
All in all you're just another brick in the wall.
Teaching them the wrong thing? No need for education? Not me! Education is not everything, it is however very important and I believe in developing one's potentials. So we'll listen to this one, too:
When we grew up and went to school
There were certain teachers who would
Hurt the children in any way they could
By pouring their derision upon anything we did
And exposing every weakness
However carefully hidden by the kids
But in the town, it was well known
When they got home at night, their fat and
Psychopathic wives would thrash them
Within inches of their lives.
At 14, 15, some of them, I hope they're mature enough to get it. They love the song and I want them to understand why it is as it is. I think these young people attend a different kind of school and they have no need to reject it. I know - it's not always nice and easy, but neither is life. But it is far from what Roger Waters described in his interview in 1979:
Um. My school life was very much like that. Oh, it was awful, it was really terrible. When I hear people whining on now about bringing back Grammar schools it really makes me quite ill to listen to it. Because I went to a boys Grammar school and although ... I want to make it plain that some of the men who taught (it was a boys school) some of the men who taught there were very nice guys, you know I'm not...it's not meant to be a blanket condemnation of teachers everywhere, but the bad ones can really do people in -- and there were some at my school who were just incredibly bad and treated the children so badly, just putting them down, putting them down, you know, all the time. Never encouraging them to do things, not really trying to interest them in anything, just trying to keep them quiet and still, and crush them into the right shape, so that they would go to university and "do well."
And of course, that is not all we are going to do. They will have a worksheet to solve. To show me what they understand. And we WILL revise for the test.
I'll end this now and do some more googling - I mean, I know what "pink" means (isn't it obvious? :)), but what is "floyd"supposed to be?
OK, found it on this website: PINK FLOYD - taken from the names of two Georgia bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council - from the early days when the band saw itself as a blues band.
Friday, 1 May 2009
Bonfires
I spent last night at home, watching TV, ironing, talking to my son, commenting on some posts, the usual.
When I was a child and even when my children were younger, the 30th April was different. Because it is the evening before the first of May. The first of May is the workers' day, you see. A day to celebrate. And still is. More people are kind of bitter today, knowing that workers' rights are not respected, knowing that not everyone can work and not everyone that works gets paid. But still.
The most attractive part of the celebration were probably the bonfires. People thought of them weeks before the event and built smaller or bigger bonfires. They often used this day to get rid of branches and stuff after cleaning their gardens. We, the children enjoyed this soooo much! We weren't left alone at the fire, of course. The adults were always there.
Now here's the problem: from our small town, shaped like a basin, no flat area but the river flowing through it with the road to accompany it, surrounded by hills, I moved to this valley. Very nice. Beautiful.
But on the May Day Eve you can build a bonfire here and very few people will see it. At home I stepped out of the house, turned around, and I could see ten or so, quite far away, too - and I felt festive. No one told us to go to bed early (we didn't go to school on 1st May), even when the fire almost died out, we could still roast potatoes in the hot embers - not that we liked the potatoes so much, the roasting itself was so interesting. I wonder now what we had to talk about the whole evening - but we were kids and I know we didn't run out of topics. Only a few years ago my brother used to build a bonfire and we gathered there and had a good time, talking, singing, looking at our kids playing.
If we didn't go to bed early, it didn't mean we slept terribly long next morning. No, it was the first of May and the brass band woke us up around seven o'clock or so. What kind of Workers' Day would it be without the brass band?
I'm starting to think now that I'll have to go home for this day next year. But then, memories are one ting, time is another. You can't go back and it's just as good - sitting home, remembering things and talking to my son about them. Bye the way, he went to bonfire last night with his friends and my daughter went to a picnic. And my sweetheart was woken by a brass band.
I must be doing something wrong. :D
When I was a child and even when my children were younger, the 30th April was different. Because it is the evening before the first of May. The first of May is the workers' day, you see. A day to celebrate. And still is. More people are kind of bitter today, knowing that workers' rights are not respected, knowing that not everyone can work and not everyone that works gets paid. But still.
The most attractive part of the celebration were probably the bonfires. People thought of them weeks before the event and built smaller or bigger bonfires. They often used this day to get rid of branches and stuff after cleaning their gardens. We, the children enjoyed this soooo much! We weren't left alone at the fire, of course. The adults were always there.
Now here's the problem: from our small town, shaped like a basin, no flat area but the river flowing through it with the road to accompany it, surrounded by hills, I moved to this valley. Very nice. Beautiful.
But on the May Day Eve you can build a bonfire here and very few people will see it. At home I stepped out of the house, turned around, and I could see ten or so, quite far away, too - and I felt festive. No one told us to go to bed early (we didn't go to school on 1st May), even when the fire almost died out, we could still roast potatoes in the hot embers - not that we liked the potatoes so much, the roasting itself was so interesting. I wonder now what we had to talk about the whole evening - but we were kids and I know we didn't run out of topics. Only a few years ago my brother used to build a bonfire and we gathered there and had a good time, talking, singing, looking at our kids playing.
If we didn't go to bed early, it didn't mean we slept terribly long next morning. No, it was the first of May and the brass band woke us up around seven o'clock or so. What kind of Workers' Day would it be without the brass band?
I'm starting to think now that I'll have to go home for this day next year. But then, memories are one ting, time is another. You can't go back and it's just as good - sitting home, remembering things and talking to my son about them. Bye the way, he went to bonfire last night with his friends and my daughter went to a picnic. And my sweetheart was woken by a brass band.
I must be doing something wrong. :D
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
My kids
It's been enough now. Enough of this time at home, only my son and me, just my sweetheart coming for coffee (is he here yet? no, but soon), giving me a lot of opportunity for being lazy.
Do you know the difficult kind of talking to a teenager? I know I do, that is why I enjoy so much when I can actually talk to my son, joke about things, even tease him about this and that and he is still nice. Compared to his grumbling version, never guilty of anything and everyone else is stupid, this is just awesome.
Lately he has developed this fascination with DIY jobs. Besides, he found out that some power tools are not that expensive. Mind you, we live in a flat. Not a house. A flat. Fifty-seven square metres, neighbours above us, below us. And my darling son bought a power saw. This one(not my photo):
When you make something from wood, it needs sanding of course. So this little mouse joined the saw (again, not my photo):
But then, you need to put things together, you have to make holes for the screws... you know. He got himself a power drill, too, which can also be used for other things. Good thing he can look for a good deal and not pay an awful lot for all those things.
Here you can see his last acquisition, lying in the middle of the not so welcome side effect - the messy balcony:
And I'm not a whiner - the balcony IS messy, here's only a small picture of it and it isn't the only place - the bathroom has suffered, too as well as the kitchen (sanding and sawing make a lot of dust) and my darling son just won't understand why I'm not thrilled about his enthusiasm.
Okay, I mustn't get all pessimistic now - he did sand the wndow frames which can finally be painted now and smoothened the wall before painting and... yeah, he's a good boy :)
Besides, he cooks, remember? Last night he made a cocomut cake (I do not like coconut), in a shape of heart, with vanilla cream and almonds... The cake vanished together with my son, the kitchen... well, I'm not putting THAT photo on the blog....
Sweet trouble, I'm having...
At least my batteries are all charged now and cleaning will help me wait till my daughter comes from her trip and starts talking. Maybe she won't tell me so much tonight if she's late, maybe most of the talking will take place tomorrow... Can't wait to hear everything.
Do you know the difficult kind of talking to a teenager? I know I do, that is why I enjoy so much when I can actually talk to my son, joke about things, even tease him about this and that and he is still nice. Compared to his grumbling version, never guilty of anything and everyone else is stupid, this is just awesome.
Lately he has developed this fascination with DIY jobs. Besides, he found out that some power tools are not that expensive. Mind you, we live in a flat. Not a house. A flat. Fifty-seven square metres, neighbours above us, below us. And my darling son bought a power saw. This one(not my photo):
When you make something from wood, it needs sanding of course. So this little mouse joined the saw (again, not my photo):
But then, you need to put things together, you have to make holes for the screws... you know. He got himself a power drill, too, which can also be used for other things. Good thing he can look for a good deal and not pay an awful lot for all those things.
Here you can see his last acquisition, lying in the middle of the not so welcome side effect - the messy balcony:
And I'm not a whiner - the balcony IS messy, here's only a small picture of it and it isn't the only place - the bathroom has suffered, too as well as the kitchen (sanding and sawing make a lot of dust) and my darling son just won't understand why I'm not thrilled about his enthusiasm.
Okay, I mustn't get all pessimistic now - he did sand the wndow frames which can finally be painted now and smoothened the wall before painting and... yeah, he's a good boy :)
Besides, he cooks, remember? Last night he made a cocomut cake (I do not like coconut), in a shape of heart, with vanilla cream and almonds... The cake vanished together with my son, the kitchen... well, I'm not putting THAT photo on the blog....
Sweet trouble, I'm having...
At least my batteries are all charged now and cleaning will help me wait till my daughter comes from her trip and starts talking. Maybe she won't tell me so much tonight if she's late, maybe most of the talking will take place tomorrow... Can't wait to hear everything.
Monday, 27 April 2009
Vacuum Break
Do you know what it feels like when some days are so packed with activities not to mention emotions that when they are over it feels like a void in your mind which expects to be doing something again. Like using some great force to suck all liquid or gas from a container, creating vacuum.
I've had some most enjoyable days. Tiring, too, but that didn't really matter. To prove that, my body woke up around half past four without the alarm, probably following my mind which, even in sleep, didn't want to miss anything.
Never mind the countries - there are these two groups of students, living about 1400 kilometres apart. We visited them in September. I accompanied my students, afraid a little- Will they be polite? -They are not always. Will they be homesick? - Even five days could make you homesick. Will they communicate? - I do teach them English and have been for three years, almost four, how well are we doing when it comes to using it? Will they... be OK? They did fine. "Do we really have to leave?" was the question on the last night. Yes, but they're coming to us in a few months.
And they did. On Tuesday the 21st. We met them at the airport, accompanied them on their bus ride to school and the parents were waiting there with a snack, including a cake with the photo of both groups together. A few words, a bite and the kids (14, 15 yrs old) grabbed a ball and went out to play football. Everyone seemed pretty relaxed and we, the grown-ups, liked that.
In the following days we tried not to fill their days with school-like activities. Yes, we spent some time at school, but then they got to meet in their spare time in the afternoon. Two excursions, a lot of talking, some jokes, getting to know each other... The two grown-ups (the headmistress and a mum) met my mum on our afternoon trip and seemed to enjoy that day altogether, finding out that my sister's daughter is half an hour older than that mum's son whose name, bye the way, is the same as my son's. How small is this world?
Saturday came and we decided to conclude these wonderful days with a barbecue somewhere higher - some 1200 metres above the sea level. The parents chose the location and we all loved it. They also did soooooo much of the work, god bless them! From there we walked to the nearby peak and back (an hour or so altogether), after which the kids felt tired - not from the walk, really, but from all those days, packed wih so many nice things. But they listened to their teacher - no, not me, sorry, the other one. They got up, mixed a little on the grass, playing volleyball, singing, whatever they thought of. The weather which was threatning a little bit at the beginning, did us a favour and got better and better.
We were al trying to comprehend what we were experiencing and feeling. And feeling was a great part of it. On Thursday - "trip to mum's place" day - we had dinner at my place and I asked my daughter how she found the two omen who accompanied the students. "I'm so glad they are not uptight," she said. Indeed they aren't. I felt like we had known each other for years. And we could talk about anything. And we all feel that this MUST GO ON.
Yep, I feel lucky again. I told the parents and the students about it. Lucky to be surrounded with such people in this time when we can do this exchange and take our students so far to learn about the world. My contribuition was small. really, just a few trips and some worries, after all the organizing, done by others. Yep, lucky.
After reading what I wrote above, you may wonder: "What' the big deal?"
You should've been there to know and understand. To feel. That positive energy among all these people. Among these teenagers whom we tend to find dificult and you know - teenager-like. Among their parents who hope it doesn't stop here. Among the students' younger siblings who are already asking if they, too, will be able to go when they're in the 8th or 9th grade....
We didn't say goodbye, just "see you", still we didn't want to let them go. Many hugs and good wishes - yes, they're great huggers - and plans for the future.
And now I'm having a break. A week off. Not even school. After such a full week. And I' alone. My son's out, my daughter went to Rome, the afternoon is all mine. It feels like vacuum. But like tiredness, I know this, too comes from something nice. And I have the opportunity to think things over, prepare for next week and it gives me time to feel this LUCKY feeling.
I've had some most enjoyable days. Tiring, too, but that didn't really matter. To prove that, my body woke up around half past four without the alarm, probably following my mind which, even in sleep, didn't want to miss anything.
Never mind the countries - there are these two groups of students, living about 1400 kilometres apart. We visited them in September. I accompanied my students, afraid a little- Will they be polite? -They are not always. Will they be homesick? - Even five days could make you homesick. Will they communicate? - I do teach them English and have been for three years, almost four, how well are we doing when it comes to using it? Will they... be OK? They did fine. "Do we really have to leave?" was the question on the last night. Yes, but they're coming to us in a few months.
And they did. On Tuesday the 21st. We met them at the airport, accompanied them on their bus ride to school and the parents were waiting there with a snack, including a cake with the photo of both groups together. A few words, a bite and the kids (14, 15 yrs old) grabbed a ball and went out to play football. Everyone seemed pretty relaxed and we, the grown-ups, liked that.
In the following days we tried not to fill their days with school-like activities. Yes, we spent some time at school, but then they got to meet in their spare time in the afternoon. Two excursions, a lot of talking, some jokes, getting to know each other... The two grown-ups (the headmistress and a mum) met my mum on our afternoon trip and seemed to enjoy that day altogether, finding out that my sister's daughter is half an hour older than that mum's son whose name, bye the way, is the same as my son's. How small is this world?
Saturday came and we decided to conclude these wonderful days with a barbecue somewhere higher - some 1200 metres above the sea level. The parents chose the location and we all loved it. They also did soooooo much of the work, god bless them! From there we walked to the nearby peak and back (an hour or so altogether), after which the kids felt tired - not from the walk, really, but from all those days, packed wih so many nice things. But they listened to their teacher - no, not me, sorry, the other one. They got up, mixed a little on the grass, playing volleyball, singing, whatever they thought of. The weather which was threatning a little bit at the beginning, did us a favour and got better and better.
We were al trying to comprehend what we were experiencing and feeling. And feeling was a great part of it. On Thursday - "trip to mum's place" day - we had dinner at my place and I asked my daughter how she found the two omen who accompanied the students. "I'm so glad they are not uptight," she said. Indeed they aren't. I felt like we had known each other for years. And we could talk about anything. And we all feel that this MUST GO ON.
Yep, I feel lucky again. I told the parents and the students about it. Lucky to be surrounded with such people in this time when we can do this exchange and take our students so far to learn about the world. My contribuition was small. really, just a few trips and some worries, after all the organizing, done by others. Yep, lucky.
After reading what I wrote above, you may wonder: "What' the big deal?"
You should've been there to know and understand. To feel. That positive energy among all these people. Among these teenagers whom we tend to find dificult and you know - teenager-like. Among their parents who hope it doesn't stop here. Among the students' younger siblings who are already asking if they, too, will be able to go when they're in the 8th or 9th grade....
We didn't say goodbye, just "see you", still we didn't want to let them go. Many hugs and good wishes - yes, they're great huggers - and plans for the future.
And now I'm having a break. A week off. Not even school. After such a full week. And I' alone. My son's out, my daughter went to Rome, the afternoon is all mine. It feels like vacuum. But like tiredness, I know this, too comes from something nice. And I have the opportunity to think things over, prepare for next week and it gives me time to feel this LUCKY feeling.
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