I'm having a break. I've been filling in papers with figures, percentages, final marks all afternoon. Figures, figures, figures...This school-year is finishing and my mental energies too. I need some fresh air. I'm at the back of my flat, in the big -better to say long - balcony, I'm sitting on a bench with my laptop on my knees and a very looong coffee next to me (not really Italian, I know). Above you can see the view I've got in front of me. Few days ago I showed the view from the small balcony at the front of the house to you. Do you remember? This is my native town and the town I still live and work in: Subiaco, 72 km from Rome. Not a big one, only about 9,000 inhabitants, but not so bad for someone who loves peace and tranquillity like me.
As I was telling you, school is finishing: this morning I had my last lessons with this year classes. Three of them, 57 of my students, will be at university next year. From June 25th they will start doing their school - leaving exams and I will be there with them as an internal teacher. It'll be hard for all of us since we will be at school till mid-July. Do you know what? I'm quite sad thinking of what I've been doing this afternoon: all my work and my students' efforts had to be summed up in numbers ... figures...I've always hated numbers, I've always thought words were better. Not only because I'm not a genius at Maths, but because I'm sure they are not ...enough, they are not fit to convey the sense, the meaning, the aim of all our efforts, mine and theirs. Well...it's just a sensation...maybe I'm only sad or melancholic as always when at the end of something.
I need some music. A cheerful song possibly. Let's see ... this will help me. 3 minutes , then soon back to my boring number-writing task! WONDERFUL!!! (It's the title of the song)
What a fantastic view you have in front of you, MG! So lucky to live in such a beautiful place. Although I live in a village all I can see in front of my window is my neighbours' house! Hope all your efforts will be worth it and all your pupils will pass their exams with flying colours! Being a teacher is such a huge responsibility and I'm sure that every class that leaves at the end of a final year will take away a bit of you as well! Thanks for Gary Go's song. Before seeing him at Take That's concert I didn't know who he was, but now I quite like him! Ciao. A.
ReplyDelete@lunarossa
ReplyDeleteThanks for your support, A. Fingers crossed for my students' exams! And, yes, I love living here, just an hour's drive and we are in Rome but only if we need or want to. All the rest is nature, peace and ... boredom? (young people usually say it!)
By the way,as for Gary Go, I know many singers, musicians, songs thanks to my teenage sons and my students, of course. I often use English songs in my lessons. Then I used to be a speaker-dj in a local radio station ages ago, when I was at university...
You don't like numbers and then you say 3 (three) minutes... Sono ironico! I like numbers, but I fully agree with what you are saying. When my kids were young I told them to consider the numbers they got for their exams as a feed back mechanism -- nothing more and nothing less. "You can disagree with the number they give you, make up your own mind, but when you disagree you need good arguments."
ReplyDeleteI guess you listened to more than one song, may be even 6 or 7 (haha).
Have a nice day,
Giovanni
Another wonderful view, you live in a very beautiful place, Maria Grazia.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you say about the numbers not conveying well enough what the students did during the course. But you are a responsible teacher (se nota) and I'm sure your numbers (marks) are fair.
Ciao
You've been tagged!!! - more numbers I know but I hope you enjoy it!
ReplyDelete@Giovanni,Elvira, Kathryn
ReplyDeleteThanks for passing by and commenting. I've had a hard day at school from 9 to 8! And now ... more papers to fill in for tomorrow morning!Other numbers to be written. Thanks for tagging me K.! Yes, I like this tagging games. I proise I'll do my homework as soon as possible. A wonderful evening to all of you! Take care.
A lot of marking now such is the life of a teacher - while enjoying a wonderful view and good italian coffee (no doubt). So Maria what will you do with your lovey long summer holidays
ReplyDelete@Mo
ReplyDeleteThey won't be so long! I still have meetings till Saturday 20th - to decide who fails and who passes. Then, on 22nd of June, we will start the meetings with the external teachers and headmasters/mistresses coming from other schools who will work at the school-leaving exams of our oldest students. I will be one of the internal teachers and have 57 students (the oral exam of each of them will last an hour! + I'll have to correct 57 English written tests!). I'm probably finishing around mid-July. Then I have to be back to school on August 25th for those who failed one or two subjects in the other classes. I'll have a month's holiday, then. What am I going to do? Relax, relax, relax.
Thanks for dropping by, Mo! Take care.