Some good things happen. too.

Some interesting new music in the choir last night, Durufle's Requiem, which I have vague memories of having done before some time, and Kodaly, not pronounced Kodaly apparently. This is modern, lyrical music in sharp contrast to the rythmical exactitude of my beloved Handel and it looks interesting, if challenging. But that is what this conductor of ours seems to want to do. The choir is definitely developing from strength to strength and I am enjoying singing under a knowledgeable man who knows what he wants to do with this large mass of diverse talent! The Handel Dixit Dominus went surprisingly well and the Norsk Barokk Orkester (!) was absolutely amazing...young people who seemed to be no older than the kids I teach (well, I have to find some sort of word for it) and who produce music of world class quality. A privelege indeed to be able to be part of something like this. The wrinkles of personal stuff which can be a pain in such a complex grouping seem to be ironed out when we sing a concert of high quality, although E's latest behaviour is noted by several friends and they semm to agree that I am ill-done by. But this is no place for such ramblings. The body-snatcher putting his hands on my shoulders the other day was a bit more dramatic and I'm astill at a loss as to why he did it. No, don't even think of asking.

It is early on a Tuesday morning and although the weather is a bit grey, the snow has almost gone from where I spend most of my time and the dogs can get out and really enjoy themselves. Robin seems to learn more every single day and he is developing into a lovely little animal with a great personality. Things are looking good. Kevin avoided the dreaded needle just before Easter and has gained a new lease of life, albeit reduced in tempo. The vet put him on a series of pills aimed at increasing the speed and amount of blood flowing to his brain, a sort of cerebral viagra, and this is supposed to waken him up a bit. We'll see. He is booked on the Hook - Harwich ferry for June at least. Maybe the little fellow will last that long.

And school is a fascinating place to be with my boss A having a problem finding me not too much to do next year at the same time as there is more than enough for me to do. I am not allowed overtime, and I see the point of that, both economically and for my own benefit, but I am not boasting when I say that several kids may be disappointed next year when this senile old g** isn't standing in front of them on the first day of a new term. This is the time of year when we are rushing downhill towards exams and end of term and I definitely feel that I have got too much on my plate. Correcting is an insurmountable problem, the more I do, the less I get done, and the kids deserve better treatment. I suspect this digital correcting system takes much longer than the old red pen and paper way of doing it and I know my eyes and back are suffering from sitting in front of a pc most of my free time.
The work they turn in is sometimes so good that I wonder how I am to evaluate it, particularly in kk, where the intelligent people seem to be enjoying the lessons and show it by producing excellent stuff. This is fun to be part of and I am looking forward to following the course up next year. I think a lot of the pleasure I get out of this is seeing them developing free thought processes and working towards what is really an obvious solution using their own brain-power and not the answers at the back of a book. And the combination of theory and practical use is hitting the target. Great. Alan Bennet's History Boys was a good film about how I believe teaching clever kids should be, it is a pity about the homosexual angle to the plot which I think spoiled the film in many ways. But the essential idea of talking about a subject, introducing material and letting the kids spin it out and discover the angles is definitely a method I enjoyed as a boy and which I feel works well here in Kongsberg. There is something here about empathy, mutual respect, respect for the teacher's knowledge and experience at the same time as showing respect for the kids' ideas and requirements and using a friendly tone throughout. When A says there is a good atmosphere in my lessons, I cannot get a better compliment. It warms the hard old coconut of a heart.

But enough maudlin' sentimentality. Today is a long one with a doctor's appointment at half past three and lots to do before then. Why not put this out noe while it's still fresh?