Know alls.

There is always someone who knows better, isn't there. Sky News told me this morning that small children as young as four or five are to be tested to see how well they can solve "simple problems like writing their names, simple arithmetic and reading. The nursery school teacher said that this was not a bad thing. She would observe and evaluate while the little blighters were playing. Surely I am not alone in thinking this is a collosal intrusion into families. Why should small children have to be graded so early? Why do we have to find out who is a loser even before they start school. The"experts" just want even more control. They know so much more than parents how their children should be brought up. What is wrong with thousands of years of experience? I can see it now, little Billy starts school and the file says he merits two lessons a week special needs. These people sicken me and if they aren't able to tell us how to spend our money, what to eat or wear, they are now going to take child up-bringing from young parents. Why can't these do-gooders put their educational ambitions into schools where their work is needed, higher up?
Anyway, it is here in Norway already and just shows how things are going. But no-one talks about freedom any more. They won't until they haven't got it any more. Then it'll be too late anyway.
I have more respect for people who know what it means to have to knuckle under or get a rifle butt in the face. Tibetans know what freedom means, and so do people in Zimbabwe where another classic "I know what is good for you" leader is on his last legs after taking his formerly rich country to the cleaners. But there is little point in complaining. Being an old fashioned fuddy duudy who believes in good manners and using indicators in traffic, I am obviously so out of touch with modern times that I should be ignored.
Although, come to think of it, I am not being ignored at the moment at work anyway. I must admit to being treated with respect by colleagues and pupils alike. My new running-mate RLB is an excellent partner and our new class, 1STC looks promising too. I look forward to driving to Kongsberg in the mornings and teaching is fun. I even like to believe that the indians appreciate my teaching, and it is a long time since I have had that feeling.
Meeting Burkhard, Anders J, Anders S and Bård on board Mona Lisa was a pleasant experience last Monday and Burkhard had a small collection of beautiful models for me. Very much appreciated before my birthday, due in a couple of days. It was good to talk to people with a common love of ships and with knowledge of the subject. Bård was funny and entertaining, as usual, a talented actor as well, and it gave me a lot of pleasure to see Burkhard and Bård get on so well. Both experts in their fields and with a mutual respect many other people I know would do well to learn. And these are not people who want to tell anybody else how to run their businesses. I appreciated Burkhard's generosity to me, both in models and in words. He is a good friend indeed.
Now is the time to prepare for Monday's teaching, and in particular, meeting the kids who managed to miss out on Friday's lesson. Sean the Sheep is a good way of getting the smile back on their faces. Whether I am the best teacher they have had since washing up liquid was put on the market remains to be seen, but their remarks are of course appreciated as well. Even if they are part of a campaign to soften up my hard old walnut of a heart. One thing is certain, I don't no best. Definitely!

Skoleoppdatering

Det var moro å holde KK timene i dag. Dataopplegget falt ut og jeg fant ut at teori måtte til. Jeg er litt nølende med dette stoffet, er også usikker på hvor mye og dyptpløyende jeg skal være. Men i mot alle negative forventninger, så det ut som om klassen fikk med seg det som var hovedsaken, en definering av en del begreper rundt det med semiotikk. Dette stoffet krever mye tid til lesing av fagstoff fra min side og å koke ned dette til noe fordøyelig er en utfordring. Det var artig å tegne Shakespeare på tavla med en blå tusj og ha den gjenkjent av ei jente jeg ikke vet navnet på ennå. I det hele tatt, føler jeg at denne gjengen er bra. De har allerede laget en liten produksjon, en selvbiografi der ord er forbudt. Kun lyd og bilde, noe de fikk til på en beundringsverdig måte. Det er noe med å ha tillit til hverandre. En stor fordel er at noen fra gamleklassen min er med og det virker som om stemningen smitter over på elevene jeg ikke kjenner. Jeg er takknemlig for slike positive strømninger og dette gjør livet så mye lettere.
Den nye klassen min virker også bra og samarbeidet med RKL er også bra. Jeg er nok priviligert å kunne ha så mange flinke og positive mennesker rundt meg. Når jeg ser hva det kunne ha vært, er det nesten nok til å få meg til å konvertere til et eller annet religiøst. Ungene i C klassen vet hva det betyr å le og selvhøytydeligheten er borte for lengst. I det hele tatt, lover det godt. Kan hende jeg ønsker noe dritt på meg med denne lovsanglignende blogg. Ja vel. Skjebnen deler ut det den deler ut uten at jeg kan påvirke situasjonen så mye.
Jeg har ennå ikke fortalt EV om hvorfor fudgekjøp nærmest kostet meg fortennene. Er det en historie jeg skal ta med her. Neste gang kanskje.

Oh Hell!

...is a good title for this article. I often put on the box in the mornings to catch some news, and at half past five, there isn't much. The Olympics, or OL as they quaintly call it here, is what normally appears, and after shaking off the hypnotism of watching only-just-not-naked girls playing sand volleyball, I get ready for work and leave home at about six fifteen. Sandvolley by the way. Why is the female version much more interesting to watch than the male version? This retorical question can remain unanswered for now.
But this morning, I was suddenly riveted to the screen by a new sport, both for me and for "OL". BMX is the latest early morning screening from China. Children's bikes being ridden at top speed round a lumpy course by hyped-up representatives of the world's nations in garish-coloured skin tight costumes and a huge toy spaceman outfit helmet on their heads. What a laugh. They wizz off at collosal speed round tight bends and over the aforementioned jumps. Skilfull, but if you land wrong, you lose seconds, and look bloody stupid. But more painfully, wedding tackle gets crushed hard against the bike's frame. After one collision which involved half the competitors, bits of bike and crash barrier were left lying around in the sand interspersed with what I am sure must have been testicles. One particular competitor dressed in the green and yellow of Australia had given himself the artiste (!) name of Kamikaze! And what a suicide mission he was. He hit every bump as hard as he could and crossed the line a good last, bent over his tiny bike, one ball hanging by a thin bloody thread, the other lying in the sand at a particularly difficult bend with reverse camber. The rest of the pack who managed to cross the finishing line more ore less intact looked as though their tackle had received a real ball-bashing too. Gentlemen, don't get me wrong but I feel for you. O L.
Which reminds me of womens sand volleyball, but I have no idea why.

Er det virkelig to måneder siden jeg tok fri fra pc'en? (med et par unntak da.)Vi begynner et nytt skoleår over helgen og allerede tegner det seg som et godt år. Jeg får ikke følge min gamle flotte klasse men må begynne med en ny første klasse sammen med en annen lærer. Men når jeg endelig må dele, er den nye partneren omtrent det beste jeg kunne tenke meg. Jeg håper virkelig at jeg har rett!
Gamle klassen kommer nok til å reagere når de får greie på hvem som blir ny klassestyrer, unnskyld, klassekontakt...eller var det kontaktlærer? Jeg synes synd på dem og jeg må nok fungere som en slags uoffisiell lynavleder tenker jeg. Bare jeg ikke blir anklaget for å være femte kolonnist. Er det stavet riktig? Det ser ut som femfingertarmen...eller er det bare min dumme fantasien igjen?
Etter to ganske meningsløse dager på seminar i Tønsberg der mye av den naturlige motivasjonen og lysten ble kjedet vekk, er det godt å være sammen med gode kolleger og venner. Og det er stort sett det jeg har her ved skolen. Og nå gleder jeg meg til mandag og møtet med elevene.
Ellers er det mye som skjer ute i verden for tiden med OL på topp når det gjelder mediadekning tett fulgt av situasjonen i Georgia der russerne gjør det de har vært flinke til gjennom historien: inntar landområder og ikke gi dem tilbake. Det må være en paranoid ledelse i det folket som er livredd for alt som er fremmed. OK, USA de åtte siste årene har vært en nasjon som skremmer til og med meg til tider, men når vui vet at det er kun Varanger som er "gitt tilbake" frivillig siden Russland/Sovjet startet opp, blir det vanskelig å forstå hvorfor Georgia skal behandles slik som skjer nå. Men mer interessant er ordbruk og presentasjon som vi møter fra journalister og politikere. Jeg må forsøke å huske på å samle på gode eksempler. Om jeg bare hadde tid!