06/10/2006
Closing Down
When I started as a teacher (ages ago) I always thought textbooks were dull, bland, boring and I planned engaging projects for students to get involved. We also had a textbook but when I was teaching my adolescent students, we almost forgot we had one. They read, and wrote, and copied, and invented, and created, and met, and gathered… It was a pleasure for me to see them so involved. I certainly enjoyed some of my classes in Vilanova i la Geltrú where I was a teacher for 13 years. Then after that, as you know, I went to the United States where I did different things other than teaching but always related to education.
Shortly after I came back from the States to my country and I embarked on this EOI experience, not absolutely convinced of what I was doing. I was afraid I was going to miss my adolescents, and in fact, at the beginning I did but it was this school year (2005-06) when I discovered that teaching goes beyond any age or period in life.
I honestly think fondness is important, to put some love into what you do. When this happens there is usually a reward. I also think that as adults we are shy, not so spontaneous as we used to be when, as adolescents, we wanted to call people’s attention. There are other factors, as once enjoyable and gentle Take it easy said in class, but I don’t totally agree with him. Do you remember what he said? … “Living in a town is not really exciting, interesting things never happen to you. You are born, go to school, have a girlfriend, finish school, marry her, raise a family…” I do not agree, because all these things can be really special if you wish. The capacity to live… lies within you. You have proved to be alive and as my dearest and sensitive Violet says, to express something you never did before: to express your feelings in a way some of you realized how important this was.
We could do it because we were anonymous. It was a hit! Little by little quite a few of us were trapped, hooked and turned on our computers looking for comments, reading others’ posts, and thinking what to write about. We wanted more as productive Nuroma, and spontaneous Marara said in their last posts.
So many lively and important things have happened! Sweet Moonlight found her flat!, More became a father for the first time, wonderful and thoughtful Red will be a mother just because she got loosed… and she is now experiencing that wonderful growth within her. Pleasant Joseillo got a job, where they exploit him but he is clever enough and in the future we all hope he will get a better position. Indeed he deserves it!! Brilliant Joaquim is ready to make quite a few important decisions in his life…
Other not so pleasant things along this experience have happened… Ammy’s father passed away. We were sorry for that and missed her so much these days for she’s been one of the very active souls in the blogs.
Do not think, I pay no attention to you if your name does not appear in this post. You have ALL been so important to me: hardworking English Class 4, vindictive Words, sensitive Prat, , lively Come in, sharp Keane, Bofrost and Wendy, shy Dama and Diana, delicate Maía, discrete Quetzal, Paola and Ellen, quiet Noa, thoughtful, Thundering, clever and deep Gregor Samsa, sweet Sonia and Anatir, spontaneous Concept Extreme, mysterious Sensatis and That’s me.
I do not forget dearest Nailbiting, a discovery, a friend, a colleague, an extremely wonderful and powerful surprise! Thanks, for having been there!
I want to mention as well some of you who did not get involved in the blogs for one reason or another; I’ll treasure Ferran’s brilliance, Marta’s perseverance, Susana R. stubborness and José Luis and Fawzi’s smiles.
Summarizing, up to now, love, expressing feelings and mystery, I think, have fortified our experience. The rest, the more academic side of it, I’ll think about them and post some other day. Will you help me with your thoughts? I’ll certainly appreciate that.
And here I am now thinking about how much I’ve learned with all of you, from those who passed and those who didn’t pass, without tests to correct and classes to prepare and thinking “What a wonderful and colourful class I’ve had!” (Both my 4th courses, of course!)
Thanks for having been YOU… so much! Thanks for the wonderful presents: I promised I’ll post the experience of the stones one of these days (just need stimuli) and as for the very special notebook, tell you that I’ve started writing… little by little, my precious and intimate thoughts one day you’ll hear about.
23:55 Permalink | Comments (5) | Email this
Comments
Hi Virginia!
Many years ago, when I was on my early twenties, I did karate during 5 or 6 years and there I discovered the word Sensei (先生). Sensei is a Japanese title used to refer to or address teachers. It is also used to show respect to someone who has achieved a certain level of mastery in an art form or some other skill. And just now, at the end of the course year, missing the blogs activity and missing some of the bloggers, Sensei is the word that comes to my mind thinking abou you. As I told you some days ago, Maria Jose Lobo was my teacher at primary school and I would like to meet her again to thank her about the work she made many years ago. Fortunately I’m not going to wait 25 years with you to tell thanks for your excellent work. The blog experience has been for sure the best English experience I have had during all my life. We have learnt a lot and at the same time we have share feelings, experiences, ways of thinking...
Well, Sensei Nuria, I just can do what a karate pupil does when salutes his/her sensei. Nod my head as a symbol of respect.
I would like to have you as my teacher next year but I know you have taken a decission (the wise decission) and I have to respect your way of thinking.
Posted by: JazzMan | 06/11/2006
Well, here I'm saying thanks again. I've enjoyed this year so much. Sometimes I've been a bit stressed out because of blogs but now I can say: "I'm grateful".
I'm a bit sad because this year has gone but, in the same way, I'm expecting fifth year.
My best wishes for you, Sensei Núria
Posted by: nuroma | 06/12/2006
Currently I've to admit that it has been superb! although, we were making a mountain out of a molehill. at the begining.
Moreover people thought: What a nightmare! but after that it was plain sailing, (we don't get used to learn with these new methods).
However, it has been wonderful!! A marvellous experience to learn english. I bet we'll never forget this course: excellent teacher and splendid partners.
THANKS a lot! and Have a nice summer holidays!
Posted by: MOONLIGHT | 06/13/2006
Now, when the course is over, and with the time perspec
tive I'm realize that I've learnt quite, at least I feel more secure and selfconfident, now I dare to read an English
version book (in spite of I need a lot the dictionary), I also dare to watch films in English with English subtitles, and I uderstand much better the lyrics songs that usually I'm listening along the day (radio, CD etc). So I've improved. And the blogs had helped me, maybe without noticed.
I've been quite involved with the blogs, all you know that, and I really ejoyed it, it was some fun and a way to know, meet anothers points of view, histories and sensibilities. Without noticed we created a world, our
fourth level world, and our characteres live there, some of them a bit paranoics (nailbiting, naraida) it's not easy to live in two worlds, two lifes at the same time and don't get crazy.
But this parallel world that we've created has been our companion along the course, we've became good, close friends and now it's gone. Personally I miss it, maybe it's just my mood (lately I've missed quite a lot things).
That's my own expreience with the blogs. But , as you know I'am an analytical person and I like always make a critical reflection about everything, because it helps you to have a more balanced point of view about things.
So I think the blogs have an important risk, if you get involved, no problem! but if you don't (for any reason) you probably will be froze up ( like computers) and then you'll miss the chance of being in the same wave that the others. So that's the weak spot, the solution could be make the blogs more attractive to the people. Personally, I think that the begining of it is the hardest moment, so is there when you need more help (and you did it) but after that is necessary that you remain there, always keeping an eye, and not lower one's guard ( A hard task!). There are always someone who need your encourage to keep writing, and this people don't use to be the more actives bloggers, on the contrary they are "the dark side of the community"and they use to feel insecure, and under the active bloggers pressure.
I think the blogs success it will depends on our capacity to integtrate them.
Another point that I would like to comment is about the rhythm of the blogs, the blogs, in a natural way, have it's own rhythm, but sometimes ( in my opinion) this rhythm it declines, and then you need one "nailbiting", somebody who shakes the blogs, and it gives another mood, rhythm and character. We got it.
So that's my opinion about the blogs. And about my experience is llike I wrote in one post :" Windows are holes in our privacy to let guess tho others about our life. And I think these blogs are windows too, something that any of us can put out heads of it, and look over our life, thoughts and feelings".
Posted by: ammy | 06/13/2006
Thanks for your comments, thanks for your e-mails. I'll let you know how things are going with the published work. I'll keep you informed!
Now, enjoy the holidays!
You deserve them!
Posted by: virginia | 07/01/2006
Post a comment