Excellence..just excellence....

It is the weekend and just had my traditional cup of George Clooney coffee in my gigantic Stitch mug and just took a glance at the front page of the newspaper.  Also the washing machine is running in full modus, finally managed to make a hair dresser appointment, started to read of the books I put on the reading menu for our upcoming ‘scary’ themed book week at my educational hotspot and I also can not wait to dive into one of the Mindfulness books I wish to read before September comes to an end…. Yeah Stallie is back at work, back at school, back where the magic can take place, back where she feels at her best…back where I am aiming very hard to be the best teacher for every single one of the my students.

As mentioned before I do not believe that perfection exist or at least I rather tend to describe it rather as a mindset not I not master constantly.  It is rather something I not excel at…do not get me wrong. Not that I not aim for excellence and perfection when it comes down my profession.  There are there those moments that I could jump for joy and run through the school building screaming it out that I saw in the eyes of my educational audience what I am after. Sparkling eyes all over the place.  Oh yes, it happens and even more than I will admit. It happened last week already in my first week back out there.  The thing is that most of my victories I tend to celebrate in silence or I will have a small after party in my car with my Spotify favorite list echoing through my car.  Believe me by the time I get home I already have discarded my super hero cape and jump back into my more boring and daily routine. 

After all that is part of what I do consider teaching a never ending story that will call constantly for action and reflection.  It then not also surprises me that at the beginning of a new academic year many people consider themselves educational expersts.  By the time that I am preparing my first lesson plan I have already read or heard  hundreds of opinions about what is going well or not going well in the educational world.  It is like in middle of august many educational specialist suddenly snap out of their hibernating status to spread their gospel of education and I wonder how in the world I am going to please all of them or going to make it work what they consider good or excellent education.

Still, I am one of these people who has to put into the action what many have a very outspoken opinion about.  So then it is not such a big of a surprise that I still experience that the educational reality is so much different than an opinion of an educational specialist, parent or minister of eduation.   It is never perfect and it will be constantly questioned by many....excellence seems the be then the last word that I do think of.

Is it then a surprise that I then every year over and over again do wonder…wonder if I made the right decisions about teaching and learning?  Oh yes, I have ‘screwed’ up and still do when I teach and try to let every single of students in my care learn.  The perfection I strive for in my classroom sometimes does not resembles anything that I did plan out on paper.  That in the month of August I then tend to become a restless educational soul who then goes through an existential crises is not unexpected. Yes, I have had those moments that I reflected out loud about pursuing an other career. One of these life questioning conversations even took place at an airport in an other continent.  This is all is to me the proof I constantly question myself and my teaching and learning that I offer...and it is not always a smooth going exercise.  Believe me...sometimes it is a very grim place to travel to.

Yes, I am worried about the status of our national and global educational environment.  There are many people around me who worry about the minds and skills of our future work force.  The list of these outspoken concerns is long and I am not going to dive into them at this point. You can find them by Googling them and there are official reports written about them.  Feel free to do so because that is what I also did and will keep doing. The thing is that I already have doven back into the educational pool/reality where the temperature can be sometimes sub zero and where I sometimes am afraid to go under.   Not that I am alone ‘swimming ‘around in that deep water.  Every year I meet up there with a very big force that works like a magnet and manages to keep me afloat. Now and then I  might be in doubt if I am ready to get closer and collide with those other forces.  In general it will click with these others but once in a while it will sometimes make me go back under before I can find back the right direction. 

The thing is that I need other people in order to be the ‘excellent’ teacher I wish to be.  Oh yes, I feel so blessed that I had so many great examples to learn from.  I am still grateful for that and one of those things that I do like so much about my job is that I can constantly learn from others, including from my students.

September is together with June the most challenging month when it comes down to my job.  Yes, I already look forward to October in a way.  Still it is also the month in which I am given the opportunity to start with a clean sheet, put in to actions some to the ideas I came up with the past months and is also the moment that I try to be more in synch with many other teachers and reconnect.  A very exciting moment but but it also can make me feel a bit less secure. Hey, I am not perfect. 

That we this week were asked to reflect about the word ‘excellence’ when it comes down to learning and teaching first made me go totaly silent.  I stared at the blank sheet and yes I was relieved that we were allowed to think this over for a few days.  The thing is that I could not hold back and that that I already in the car did start to question my own son what he did think that excellence in learning and teaching means to him.  He was able to give a very clear answer and it did match what I did expect him to answer. But A is now a teenager and that is also when their brain starts to work differently and so he wondered why I did ask him.  ‘Oh, it is something I am asked to think about not that I do not always am very sure about..so I wanted your help.’  A looked at me but said nothing. Not sure that is was positive but it seemed that he was wondering if had not ever done before….

Oh yes, that is the thing…constantly and that is the thing with many of us who have signed up for education with their full heart and soul that we never ever stop reflecting.  It is like a mindset that is contagious. Especially when you are willingly to think outside the box. Believe me I am surrounded by so many excellence that my head keeps spinning.  In September it is always as if I walk into force field where I am dragged into and been given the opportunity to dive into full on and learn, teach, share, reflect, listen, adopt, create, feedback, assess, observe, talk, dream, collaborate and many more action verbs.  The most confrontational aspect of that thinking exercise is that I wish that I had more time to manage of all of these things that I deeply care about when it comes down to excellence in combination with teaching and learning.

So yes, I have decided to share what my mindset is when it comes down to these words. Please beware these are my personal selected words…my feelings…and I do not expect all of you to agree with me. It is just that you then can travel along more fully informaed with me while I try to ‘survive’ an other school year.  Oh yes, I epect to collide and disagree with some of my coworkers. That is okay as long as at the end of the day I can still feel in sync with my own moral teaching compass. 

Here we go…..

Excellence in teaching is

-having the opportunity to access Extraordinary staff who always is openminded and resourceful
-having the opportunity to not just Xerox teaching styles, resources, curriculum, teaching plans, etc…but tailor them so they fit best for our students and constantly review, modify and adopt
-having the opportunity to be Creative in our ways of teaching and how we can teach
-having the opportunity to Experiment with different teaching styles and methods
-having the opportunity to be a Life long learner in a professional and academic environment
-having the opportunity to Listen and to be listened to when it comes down to teaching
-having the opportunity to Expand your knowledge by attending CPDs that your teaching can benefit with from directly or in some ways indirectly
-having the opportunity to develop and share New resources and methods of teaching in an openminded and professional environment
-having the opportunity to Collaborate with professionals, specialists and coworkers in a trustworthy manner
-having the opportunity to Extend your teaching in order to open up new opportunities for you as teacher and students to put your teaching into good practice beyond the classroom.

…….

Excellence in learning is..

-having access to extraordinary resources and facilities that stimulate and inspiring the learning.
-having the freedom to be creative in many ways across the curriculum that is offered
-having the opportunity to demonstrate our learning not only in the classroom but also outside the classroom
-having the opportunity to celebrate the outcome of your learning and feeling confident to excel further
-having the opportunity to extend your knowledge and skills inside and outside the classroom
-having the opportunity to be part of a learning community that stimulates togetherness and mutual respect
-having the opportunity to share your knowledge, culture and values in a openminded environment
-having the opportunity to try out many ways of learning that stimulates and facilitates the learning process
-having the opportunity to use your individual talent at full potential within and outside the classroom
-having the opportunity to make decisions about your own learning in a trustworthy, openminded and respectful learning environment
-having the opportunity to call in for help in case you feel there is a need for it
-having the opportunity to express your opinion and give feedback about your learning and the teaching
-the opportunity to inquire in order to expand your knowledge and skills

…….


Hopefully you noticed those little dots below…and do you know what they mean….

Hereby I also wish all teachers, students, educational supporting staff, parents and caregivers an unforgettable academic year. Hopefully it lives up to your expectations of ‘excellence’.

P.S.:  For this entry I have picked out a song by Johnny Hates Jazz that one day my Spotify selected for me and I do think that in education I do feel like these lyrics say.  'Our hearts go round and round like the seasons' and we have so many moments that we can decide to cooperate or just walk by. It is up to us...teaching and learning is one of the most valuable&adventureous walks we take in our life.
The other one is a clip of Stitch because Stallie the teacher sometimes feels like this rather 'crazy' Disney character but the message that in teaching and learning family I do no want leave anyone behind. In my teaching and learning gospel that is perhaps the one I believe very strong in and try to teach by...no matter what, when or how!!! 

Found & Lost Abroad.

Peaches in Austin…peaches will never ever taste as good again as when I had my first peach on sunny day in Austin last July.  You were not there with me when I did bite in that one piece of fruit my dear friend H had just handed me over.  You will never be able to share that experience with me because it was one of those taste experiences that went beyond.  It was like a collision of so many emotions and my taste buds were on fire.  I can only describe it as fireworks were going of in my mouth but also in my brain.  Desperately I wanted to hold on to that sensation.  Sweetness, and smoothness were two words that I will for ever link up with that heavenly snack moment.  But I even wish to top it with the following more in depth words that even reflect so much better the intense moment I experienced while sitting on a high chair in an cozy air conditioned kitchen:’succulent luscious and mushy’!  

I guess you must wonder if all the rest of my holiday abroad was as good as that or even better…hmmm…hard to say.  A mango is not a peach, and pancakes in NYC are not the same as a breakfast taco in Austin, a mojito is not a Texan Mule and a swimming pool is not a walk in the park.  Just to give you an idea how different my two vacation spots were.  And that is just the top of the ice berg. Because there is more than meets the eye when I travel to the States.  For me that nation brings together so many things, places, food, art, architecture, landscapes, landmarks and foremost people I love.  It is a bit like coming home when the plane comes to a total stand still. 

It also not the average holiday that I end up having when getting into a cab or shuttle bus. Also I can’t hide my American accent that I inherited after being 11 months an exchange student. It still lingers around in my sub conscience.  Strangely did it took me over 48h that I seem to speak the English the average American understood. Guess  that the job related Britishness has crept under my nails and now has also taken over how I pronounce certain words or have a slightly adopted vocabulary.   There was even a moment of panic when I did try to order two bottles of still water and that the waiter gave me a blank face.  With temperatures and humidity on the rise in the Big Apple you do wish to able to order a bottle of refreshing water asap.  Thanks to my speedy and helpful niece I did manage to get my hands on them. Believe me at that exact moment I was feeling desperate and about to lose it all together.  

It are these extra ordinary journeys to the US that make me go beyond in many ways.  Oh yes, I do need to push a few snooze buttons when I see the skyline of NYC looming up. Even when the limo-driver points out that he never gets enough of it I do know that I will not walk in there anymore as a first time traveller. I have been on top of the World Trade Center two months before it came down. It will remain one of the most intense experience I ever had in my life due to me having to push myself due to being afraid of heights.  N who was there with me, knows that what I remember of that trip is not the height or the impressive buildings.  She was there with me and I am very sure that she is one of the few people who understands what that nation does do to me.  Nobody will ever take that away from me either but I am still happy that I was there together with N.  I then strangely had predicted that she would one day would live in the US.  Guess who now lives there and who has to settle for Facebook updates and Instagram posts? Time zones do interfer with long distance friendships.

The other reason that traveling through the country of stars and stripes is also a bit extra ordinary is also linked up with the fact that some of my in laws and very close friends live there.  Yes, I know what it feels like to be picked up by a limo service or what a great sensations race through my brain when a car picks me up at arrivals with cheerful people in it. It then feels like I arrived home…those car trips are so much more fun.  Plus believe me that getting on a train in the morning  that  heads into Central Station instead of walking out your hotel lobby in Mahattan is so much different.   We do now more leave the city around rush hour and head to a suburb where a total different great experience awaits.

Or wandering around in Central Park is a bit different when you have parked your car just a block away from it. Or when you manage to give them a local zip code while shopping with your niece at the so girlie and amazing fun American Girl Store.  Also instead of having dinner at one of the thousands restaurants your tour guide book raves about  you end up in a local very classy and glamorous taco restaurant where the locals dine is so much more intense. Or ending up unexpectedly in that coffee bar that is linked to a certain book you read this year and wondered when you would ever end up in that coffee bar.  Not that I will ever get used to the humidity and the unpleasant temperatures that come along with summers in the Big Apple but the homemade pancakes and lemonade at Bubby’s make up for that.  Or getting two scoops of gelato at the EatItaly at the Flat Iron building and then walk back to Central Station knowing that you are about to blend in with the regular ones. These are just a few of these exceptional intense moments that I had down town in NYC this time.

I walk now through the city in a total different manner than the first time when I landed there. Most due to now having the privilege to hang out with locals. Who also sometimes wish us not to go into those places we are tempted to walk into but rather pay attention to those places, things, monuments that are a bit off the touristy route or walking into something you are sure is considered a ‘tourist trap’.  Believe me I had the best of time in restaurants, bars, museums and such that from the outside looked rather a bit dodgy when I stood outside.  You know how challenging it is for the capricorn to let others decide and just going with the flow? 

Well traveling to the US is nowadays exactly that.  I will never ever forget what it was like when I walked into that spa my friend H dropped me off.  Or how my son started to dance with his cousin in the Adidas store on Fifth Avenue.  Yes, there are sometimes down sides as well because my son has so far not seen the skyline of NYC at night.  We tend to leave the city that never sleeps at rush hour and board a train with hundreds of suits and briefcases.  That we go in depth with locals means that you sometimes have settle for those moments that you do not know what is up next.  They are the best tour guides and that the same time you do wonder how well they really know you. So it is give and take and I have to say that it sometimes challenges you but it is so well worth it.

This trip I found out that my US family and friends know me so well. They have given me a holiday that went beyond any tour guide.  Numerous moments I just was amazed by what insight information they had and how to please me and make me the happiest bunny hopping around on the planet.  Especially when I for once not feel tempted to check out beforehand where they are about to take us or me.  I can assure you that walking into the lobby of the Fairmount hotel in Austin was so insane and when I saw the bar I was about to loose it all together.  Or when they drove me to the Presidential Library of LB Johnson.  People who know me personal know what the effect of an library is when your name is Stallie.  That moment you walk into the big hall where you for the first time get to see the archives behind glass I can only describe as being ‘beyond’. 

Yes, there are also the simple moments that have given me so much joy.  Like having a home made smoothie that your niece has prepared with great eager or when you end up reading a bedtime story to two cutie pies who sit on your lap in their bedroom.  It is when you find out the recipe of the barbecue sauce the father of your friend prepares with you before putting it on a chicken you just bought in Wholefoods where it all started for that supermarket chain.  Also when you sip from the homemade cold-brew handed over in a Yeti-cup that keeps your drink so much longer cooler than you ever imagined. It happens when you are instructed to do outlet shopping on a very tight shedule and then decide that you are going to buy that one bag you have set your mind on for years.  It is when you drive into cities and passing by places that you know from books, movies or songs but have only seen from one point of view.  It is the deeper sensation that runs through your veins when your friend takes you to Bookpeople, an independent bookseller in Austin, where you can get your hands on a signed by the author copy of that book that is on your want-to-read list.  It happens when you are offered a Texan Mule that is prepared by a local who tells you that he has been in Dilsen Stokkem, Belgium. And it happens when you have a great chat about life while cooling down in the pool and realizing that you are blessed a thousands time more than you imagined. 

One of the most magical moments was one evening when my sis in law parked her car in front of the house and I suddenly saw of the first time fire flies.  Yes, I had never seen them before and a part of me even wondered if they still existed or were a by product of fantasy authors.  I stood there in the wet grass wearing my blue ballerinas and felt so light and happy.   ‘Are those fireflies?’, I asked my niece.  ‘Oh, yes there are many around.’, she answered and ran towards the porch of the house.  My son then wondered:’So when are the raccoons coming out?’  I guess that he was more after the action animals than me.  Also did my other significant not manage to ‘kill’ the moment when he told me that they also just fly around in Belgium.  Well, my first encounter with them was in the States and it was a perfect moment that nobody will ever be able to take away from me.

What I do also find out while trying to write a blog entry about my travels is that I never ever manage to recreate the atmosphere you are after.   I have tried before to write stories about places that I have been to.  Spots close by or at the end of the world where my blood streams faster, where I manage to come to rest, where my mind just stops racing, where I have found that one missing piece that I was after to make sense of what I am doing or thinking, where my body feels in synch with her heart, where a smile of a total stranger is the ultimate boost shake, where you come to terms with what you have instead what you are longing for, where you embrace hope once again and that against all odds (the States is momentarily the best place ever to so),where my taste buds go into a certain modus that I can only describe as ‘full on’, where background music intensifies sitting in a waiting area,  where picking out your newest acquisition for your charm bracelet stands for so much then just the amount it costs, where singing along in a Sunday church gives you goosebumps and even makes your cry…I could go on and on but it is rather a mission impossible to reenact by the means of words what I have been experiencing.  Every Summer I need to come to terms that I have been there on my own that even the people closest to me and who might be present are not even getting close to what I am sensing and experiencing.

The closest I got to finding the most fitting words for this experience I came across in ‘Tell Me Three Things’ by Jullie Buxbaum, one of the 3 books that I managed to read in between all the fun and joy:
“Perfect days are for people with small, realizable dreams.  Or maybe for all of us, they just happen in retrospect; they’re only now perfect because they contain something irrevocably and irretrievably lost.”

So yes, I had 13 perfect days abroad that have brought me so much more than I could even imagine while booking my flights, filling in my ESTA online document or when packing.  Not all of them were with joy…some of them made me realize that it might be a while before I will be back to write the next chapter of a guidebook that I do not have a clue where it will take me to.

I also wish to thank my great in laws L&L and their awesome daughter/niece A, my closest American friend H, her cool husband J and cutie pie daughters G and L, H her lovely parents who all have spoiled me to bits. It is highly appreciated and believe me you all gave me an energy boost that I will not easily find in a container of vitamins.  Thank you of the bottom of my heart for having created those moments that I can only describe as being ‘perfect memories’ of something that I now have ‘lost’ knowing that I can not wait for the next time we meet up again for an other round of ‘found’. 

Hoping that all of you are having/had such an intense and incredible fun Summer as I did and that if you are still about to book or board your well deserved break away then I wish you an unforgettable ‘found&lost’-time.  Just do not forget to take along your phone/camera & charger so that you will have some ‘proof’ of these intense and joyful moments to look during a rainy, cold and dark day.

P.S.: These two songs are connected with my trip.  The first one I even get to hear preform life by Taylor Swift in a mega stadium while I was fighting jetlag and at times did think that this all was not happening. Thank you L for taking to that concert of a life time!  The second one is a song that my friend H loved playing in the car while we drove though the Austin landscape, one kind of a landscape that enables to make me breath more easily. That I have to let go many at these kind of trips is something I will never get used to! Missing you already heaps! 

Heartfelt

There are those days that

sunlight reflects all your emotions
the sky is as blue as the water at the shore of Bora Bora
the bottled smell of roses and deep musk leave behind a trail in the air
hands on your shoulders linger around a little bit longer
smiles send little jolts of energy through your body and mind
high stemmed glasses are filled up with stars
you do not need many words to say what you wish to say
fashionable heels on your pedicured feet and precious cufflinks pricked into white shirts lighten up your mood
something old, new, borrowed and blue collide
white doves fly over and evoke only silence, the silence you long for
the word ‘yes’ brings back fond memories and creates new shiny ones
bitter and sweet flavors leave behind intense sensations
white table linnen and starched napkins add some more style
black ink on white paper creates a bond beyond words
hair pins and nail polish are added to the fashionable cocktail
striking a pose in the evening sun makes you jump for joy
a kiss leaves behind a tingling imprint on your heart
tears are for once the most intense and unconditional reflection of your fondest memories
butterflies inside and outside fly by
the cheers of children and giggling of babies add an extra dimension
a ring stands for never-ending when it comes down to love, faith and hope
a walk on cobbled stones leads to more joyful moments
candles in church and on tables in the moonlight flicker to remind you of the preciousness of life
lipstick and eyeliner that are considered waterproof don’t live up to their expectations
friends and family are joined together in order to create new and everlasting memories
looking over your shoulders you do once more to reconfirm the present and jump into the deep
the waning crescent and bright stars on your way home announce the next chapter you are longing for…longing for what you have chosen for to have, to hold and to embrace.

Summer days as such describe exactly what you wish to hold on to…no matter what.



Congrats to my little sis, her husband C and their 'jillybean' J.



PS: That the Red Devils came in third in Russia that day only intensified all of the above. Memorable & joyful days they do exist…we just need to be reminded of those once in a while.  I did pick a very cheesy song to go along with this one. But in way this is to express how happy I am for my sister who is in many ways my opposite.  Twilight was that evening unforgettable beautiful as well...

Summerschool

Twenty years…yesterday I wrapped up twenty years in education.  Yes, there were tears and smiles involved in saying goodbye, letting go, decluttering and evaluating the previous 10 months.  By now I know so well and that I still not get myself under control when it comes down to moving on and detaching myself when it comes down to my job description.  It is what it is…people move on and surely in education.  Not just the young people you get the privilege to work with but also the professionals you work with.  Last night when I drove home I suddenly was completely overwhelmed by one of these sensations that I can very hard put into words.  But yes, it is the feeling that I signed up for I graduated from teaching college. This is what I was after… and yesterday it hit me right between the eyes and it was mind-blowing.

So I have taken myself the liberty to say a few things that I found out about teaching over the last two decades. 

Teaching is coming to terms that there will never be enough time.
Teaching is giving up your control now and then.
Teaching is dreaming that the best is yet to come.
Teaching is relying on technology and coffee machine.
Teaching is coming up with a plan D within seconds.
Teaching is wishing that you could do so much more for all involved.
Teaching is putting into action what you preach.
Teaching is never ever wishing to give up.
Teaching is empowering the young& less young minds.
Teaching is lifelong learning.
Teaching is believing that there is more than only one road to bring all to the final destination.
Teaching is dancing, singing and acting to get your point and message across.
Teaching is reflecting and assessing the past and aiming for a better future.
Teaching is putting things in the right perspective after reading between the lines.
Teaching is sleepless nights in order to have careless days.
Teaching is listening to everyone at any time of the day.
Teaching is exploring and going on great adventures.
Teaching is caring about those tiny little details that perhaps nobody might notice.
Teaching is picking up the broken pieces and putting them back together.  Endless times.
Teaching is giving others wings while you need be grounded.
………
TEACHING IS EVERYTHING AND NOTHING AT THE SAME TIME.

Some of these you for sure will be able to understand and others might be rather puzzling.  There might be even a few that you already have come across in other lists of certain jobs. That is okay and as I said this is my personal experience. 

Six years ago I said goodbye to a very special place to move on to an other special spot.  Both of them have given me so much.  Yes, there have been tears and very deep going & fierce emotions. This lady here has got a very outspoken opinion about what teaching can and should be about. It thanks to very diverse group of students and outspoken motivated and passionate colleagues that I do believe that education is the key to success.  Not that is easy to get by.

It still involves a lot of work and seeing past many hurdles in order to get done what you aiming for.  Oh yes, I have been challenged many times.  Not only by students but also by coworkers, mentors,  line managers, coordinators, heads, board members, pedagogical advisors, parents, psychologist, the government and last but not least also by society.

Nope I have not got a degree in magic potions or carry a magic want into my teaching habitat.  Not that I would mind to have sometimes some special forces to get through a rainy and rather gloomy day when nothing seems to work. 

That I have been given this school year to go on two major CPDs surely has given me a professional boost.  The first one was the four day leadership course that I did embark on with rather a big doses of skepticism. Not that I did question the course itself but rather me being one of the participants.  That I had to sacrifice one of my weekends due it made even a bit more challenging.

In the end I have to state that it for sure has given me a few insights on how leadership can work inside and outside a classroom.  That being an leader and being led are in a very close relationship and that friction is never far away.  I not only walked out of the building feeling rather refreshed but also wiser.  I have promised myself a few things while being on that course.  Some of these promises I am already trying to put into action.  It won’t be easy to keep all of them up at the same time.  Plus that I strongly believe that leading is also about empowering others.  So I am expected to have good days and some rather stormy days heading my way when it will come to this. 

But then the content of the second CPD ‘Mindfullness in schools’ conference, that I got to attend with my cool coworker U in the city that I will never grown tired of London,  might save myself and I.  Not that this will be a walk through the park either.  Mindfulness is surely not a novelty anymore but it does involve a lot of practice and hard work when it comes down to integrating successfully into a school.  Momentarily I am staring at my stack of Summer reads and some of them are mindfulness books.  I even also purchased and downloaded  the Budhify app on my phone.  If I wish to be the mindfulness teacher that I envision myself to be I will also have to make some promises with myself on that part.

The thing is that in a way I never have felt so refreshed at the end of a school year due to these two professional development opportunities.  Yes, I am planning to enjoy my well deserved Summer holiday.   I can’t wait to meet up with some of my friends and family and make so happy and intense memories that will add up to the mindfulness and ‘dolce far niente’ cocktail that I do hope to bottle up and get out in case of emergency in the school year ahead. 

So yes, I am very grateful for so many people and things that have happened to me over the 20 years.  Most of all I am very happy that I had the pleasure to have been taught by and also worked with some great teachers myself. People that have given me all that I now hope to pass on to the children that I get the privileged to teach and have under my care.  The imprint they left behind on my heart and mind is stronger than any education related study or regulations that I need to put into action. 

To wrap up this entry I opted to for using a song out of movie also the Y6 opted for to sing a song from  in their great annual production.  This is year it was that one song that so many know from that one movie called ‘The Greatest Showman’.  From now on there will be two songs that now stands for so much more than part of a major motion picture. One you will find at the bottom of this blong entry.  Those amazing students I will surely miss now that they move on to their secondary school but the song surely will make my heart beat faster and remind me of all those promises I have made myself. A teacher might now an then be also a showman but then I will be reminded as well of the words by the character P.T. Barnum says:’For years, I chased their cheers.’  When it comes down to leading I do not wish to chase for cheers of others but rather for matters. 

Have yourself all a great Summer.  Aim high when it comes down to making memories and hug the ones you love, live within the moment, fill up a high stemmed glass with champagne to celebrate, read a book that you always wanted to do, dance whenever you feel like it, book that spa treatment that your body screams for, call that one friend that you have not seen for a long time for an impromptu luncheon, do not forget to pack your passport or the sun protection when traveling abroad, wander through a museum that you have postponed to visit, look first yourself before putting a picture on Instagram,  sing under the shower,  look up in the sky once in a while and first of all remember rule #6 that I so much believe in: Do not take yourself so serious….because when it comes down to life lessons we only get one teacher and that is life itself and that is the greatest show on earth.  Embrace it, make it worth and share the wealth with others…and then it might end up being even beyond that.  Summer school can be the best preparation for the real thing...

http://www.jmlalonde.com/quotes-leadership-lessons-greatest-showman/

Borderline

I have been trying very hard to come up with a piece that describes what goes on in my mind and heart when I read and watch what is going on in the US but also beyond when it comes down to immigration. So much stories made the press that made me swallow or even tear up.  The list is rather long and there is not a lot that I can tell myself to find the silver lining within these news reports.  There is not such a thing when it comes down to humans who try to find a new safe home.  They are all humans who are looking for a place where they can live in liberty and peace without having to look constantly over their shoulder.   Also places where they will be able to give their children the opportunities they have never been given themselves/  No, I can’t picture what it is like to live in countries where there is constant war going, where there is hunger or economic turmoil.  I can't...honestly I am not an expert in that field.

So no, I do not feel that connected to most of these people who put everything at stake in order to reach Europe or any other nation that they consider the promised land. Sorry. Now do not get me wrong here.  I just can’t claim that I do feel what many must feel like when they pack up some of their belongings an leave the country where they were born and have tried to make living and raise a family.  But then that is not what I wish to point out by writing this.     Still, I do have enough humanity running through my veins to feel at least a few things when it comes down to all the stories that I come across on my Twitter feed or hear & see about in the press.

Immigration is an old tale and it comes in many forms and shapes. I guess that when Hollywood casted Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman for the main parts in ‘Far&Away’  it seemed to have been about a race and putting a lot at stake for the perfect spot.  Being an Outlander fan who momentarily is reading part 5 that takes place in the former colonies of the nation where tea and wine gums come from I seem to find out once more that colonisation did come along with lots of downsides as well. You don't need to tell a Belgian who does not ignore the history of her own nation. History tells tales for the future to learn from we seem to forget easily when it comes down to the past.

Ever since 9/11 immigration started to come with an even more bitter after taste. Suddenly the enemy was amongst us but it seemed that at a certain point he/she had been let in by us.  Society seemed not to be able to hold up the promises that were made to many.   Instead it seemed to have forsaken all the values we believe in when it comes down to pursue happiness and peace.  There seems to be more and more 'us and them' in social and political debates. People who cross nowadays borders without passports or the right documents fill us up rather with negative sounding words that make me rather feel down and in danger.  Fear is becoming the moral compass that many nations have selected as their upper most priority to create a safe home. No,  Europe and the VS both do not seem to get into balance when it comes down to immigration.


Every day I do find something out there to read and analyze that tells me that lots is at stake.  That these human beings on the run do not have anything to offer or that just want to profit from those social services and rights that we so hard to have to work for in order to keep them up and running.  I get that…I do. In most nations lots of issues are going on that surely cause many concerns.  No, I do not have got the answers how to ‘fix’ this crisis.   Also I do not wish to sugar coat it. It is what it is and it won’t get easier soon we are told over and over. For over a decade I already hope that there will be enough sane politicians who will dare to come up with a system that works for all involved. Not that I expect that they will be able to keep everybody happy. That is an utopia and according to some I even live in a nation that is exactly that.   And many have already expressed very clearly what they think about that.  The word 'hellhole' must ring a bell when it comes down to my nation.  

Oh yes, I do wish to preserve my own nation’s heritage, languages and some its very fragile cultural treasures and customs.  Stallie is proud to be who she is and that is in the first place connected with the ground on which she lives or lived at.  All the nations that I ended up for a short or longer time have formed me but I am rooted within my nation.  Here is where I live the prosperous live I am aiming for on a daily basis.   Nope my nation is not perfect, far from but at least I can be the person who I wish to be and that without constantly having to fear for my life and I still have been given enough options to express my opinion about many things.  Oh yes, terrorism is looming around many corners of my capital and jumping on the metro or walking into our international airport can for some of us be now rather a traumatic experience since that one day in March about 2 years ago.  It has left deep scars and it will never feel the same again. That is reality and I am trying to give it the place inside of my own busy mind it deserves but even that is a challenge.

Now I do not wish to dive further into the complexity of immigration. I do try to find out for myself where I am on the spectrum when it comes down to this without having to choose one particular side.  More than once I have pointed out that I do not like the word polarization and that I do not believe in just black or white in most crucial debates.  The analytic brain is having a blast momentarily when it comes down to figuring out where I do stand on many issues.  So also when it comes down to this but this week something happened that surely grounded me. 

So here we go…DON’T TOUCH THE CHILDREN….they are not be toyed around with, they are not ransom, they are not be used as a kind of bargain, they are not the ones that should be blamed, they are not to be treated as a statistic, they are not the embodiment of fear and anger that comes along with destruction, they are not just tiny humans that are copy&paste of their parents…THEY ARE NOT…. I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT. They are so much more...

Yes, when I did find out what was going on at the Mexican border with the US my body filled up with anger, sadness, frustration, doubt and fear. Suddenly a certain feeling kicked back in. That one feeling that I so strongly had experienced when I had given birth to my son A.  All my mother instincts were going into overdrive and believe me that I do not consider that a pretty sight.  It goes very deep and there are perhaps only a few who can follow me there.

When I read how parents where separated of their children I did feel so numb.  Because that is what I felt like when they took A away from me when I gave birth to him.  The moment that so many of women look forward when they are pregnant and long for, the first skin to skin contact with their child, I never got to experience.  It was then that something inside of me broke…something that once in a while makes me feel less secure when it comes down to motherhood.

Oh yes, I did try to sugarcoat it with many words that other people try to point out to be.  That it had not been my fault that I had gotten ill during my pregnancy and that those things do happen.  The thing is that what I went through I was not able to put into words but I had no clue what it had to feel like. I had nothing to compare it to.  It was my first birth and that they took my premature baby away from my point of view vital in oder to let him survive.  I lay there in a sedative status and I had no clue what to feel like.  Believe me it was one of the most intense moments of my life but I had never been so ‘empty’ at the same time.  My mind&heart kicked into survival modus and I just went on.

I felt totally out of place in the NICU and even when the nurses tried to stimulate to touch A I felt not comfortable.  The sterile environment and the clinical language I picked up made me feel rather useless and out of place.  On top of that  I was constantly in pain and did I question my own motherhood.  The fear and the anger that were racing through my body seemed to make me feel even more disconnected with my son.   Plus I was so convinced that so much still could go wrong. One infection could be one too many.   Now I do not wish to go further into this rather traumatic experience. If you have been longer out here with me or even know me personal then you know that all did end well. 

A was discharged six weeks after his first breath and I tried to start putting together the puzzle pieces to feel connected with my child.  I did imagine that we would be able to just pick up where we had left.  That the joyful moment when he moved in with us we would make up for 'lost' bounding time. Well, that was much harder than I imagined. First of all I did not know what bounding had to feel like.  When other young mothers told me what they felt and experienced I felt totally out of place.  My silence was communicating doubt within myself.  When young parents talked about fear and being pulled apart of their young born I even sometimes wondered why they did feel that way.  In a way I even envied them.  I still do. If I see my own sister in action with her 9 months daughter I even feel a bit down because I seem to have missed out on something that goes very deep.

Still, when it comes down to hand over you children to strangers I am an expert. I have done it numerous times and in the first place to let him survive.  My options were limited and very simple.   Still, the emotional out come of that act I have deeply underestimated. It is only years later that I can see clearly and express what I felt like and sometimes feel like.   That I might have needed more help in order to be the parent I wished to be for my child was something that I did not seem to be able to ask for.   But I know for sure  that  the parent-child bound is so essential. It is the biggest jump start you can give a child. It is the beginning of life…it connects and is not only a skin to skin act but emotional one. It is where humanity connects and is passed over to the next generation in order to let go but to feel grounded and safe.

So when I then look at the images of children who ended up in cages and are pulled away from their parents I do feel nauseous.  If you then find an expert to ‘testify’ that it can’t hurt a child to be taken away from their parents then I do get in overdrive.  It are our parents who raise us, who guide us and in our childhood years try to teach in combination with school us the essentials in order to be human.  Not that all child-parent stories are success stories.  Far from that but trying to justify this act is one of the most horrid acts when it comes down to mental healthcare of the young minds but also of the generation that now is calling the shots.

What angers me as well is that there are enough people out there who will believe that this is a necessary act.   I just stared at my screen when I picked up on what a radiologist told in front of a Fox News camera.  The scary part of such interviews is that people like her are used to form the moral compass that many will tend to use to go on when they might be questioned in a debate or conversation in the supermarket.  ‘Hey, once they are reunited they will be fine. They will pick up where they left.  After all they have been fed, been given clothes and schooling. It is almost if they have been on summer camp.’  EXCUSE ME?  Come again….. YOU DO NOT HAVE GOT A CLUE WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, DO YOU?  Are you an expert in this field?  Have you been there out with them when they tried to push their limits and cross borders?  Have you ever experienced what it feels like when they take away your children and that you don't know where they are taken?   I don’t think so.  Neither was I and I can only try to imagine what it must be like when you embark on such journey, not knowing if it will even end well.

Personal I do think that there are only losers when it comes down in these kind of stories.  There is nothing to sugarcoat it with. Sorry for using the word sugarcoat more than once in this entry, but according to me it is a word that covers best what many try to do momentarily. You can not draw a silver lining around pictures of children who are distressed and crying.  The ones who do not show these emotions might still experience them but try to hide them.  That we at this stage in human history consider them 'statistics' and try to talk ‘sense’ into our heads by coming up with ‘excuses’ why this is 'necessary' and 'essential' I honestly refuse to accept as the truth. I have been spending some time across the border while I left my child behind not knowing when I would meet up with him in my arms to believe otherwise.

Daily children are pulled away from the parents.  In some cases it might be essential due to the circumstances and the child might even be in danger. There are children who become orphans due to many reasons and there are also stories of young people who have decided that they need to get away from their parents in order to survive.   There are millions of street children who live out there on the streets trying to make it through the day.   Yes, there are parents who have lost their child while being on the run for war, climate change, regime change, economic crises, hunger and many more reasons that make parents to jump into the unknown and embark a boat or climb into a truck.  But pulling them apart while crossing a border...I am not sure if this is a vital neccesisity to safeguard our values, morals, society and nation.

That I love teaching so passionately is connected with those feelings and my own personal story when it comes down to parenthood. I can never ever replace a parent and that should never be an aim when you work with children.  Day in day out I feel privileged to be given the opportunity to work with children.  I don’t take them for granted. I try to see them as strong individuals who will hopeful find one day their spot in society that hopefully will add something to humanity. They teach me daily a few things themselves.  Unconditionaly and without a hidden agenda.  I feel blessed but it also makes me fully aware that there are so many young people who are not given these opportunties and can't thrive and use thier talents at full potential. 

My biggest fear is that that we are heading for a time in which we describe  ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ as a superb series or book but not dare to look closer and identity the real symptoms our own societies suffer from.  Atwood did write this gripping tale in the seventies when I was learing to ride a bike and blew out careless my birthday candles.  I was 18 years old when I read it in the US as part of the American Literature course I took in high school. The story made me feeling uncomfortable and surely not smiling. There are no silver linings in that novel.  Children are ripped apart of their parents and society considers that as justified in order to maintain law&order.  I don’t think I need to go deeper into this make you see what the parallels are with what we are witnessing today.

So I consider parental bounding essential in raising a child.  Not that there are guarantees that the relationship will remain flawless but stating that it does not harm or has got any consequences when you take the parent out of the picture is in my humble opinion pure nonsense.  I would have rather used a different kind of word to describe what I mean but I try to stay polite. 

Plus it is not that now that Mr President has put a gigantic signature on a document that these children will easily be reunited with their parents.  In the US there is no procedure at hand for these kind of situations.  Now I am not saying that my own nation has got everything sorted when it comes down to children’s rights.  We are not doing everything 100% perfect and it is not because you have signed the Universal Children’s Right convention that you automatically can be considered child friendly on all levels.

Still…taking away children from their parents you can’t justify even when you start to quote the bible.  Nope sorry…that is one bridge too far for me.  I just refuse to consider this a normal, justified act…I don’t.  There are many things that we are supposed to consider as the 'new normal' due to the polarization that is going on in many political and social debates. Still I refuse to give in when it comes down to finding out both sides of the medal before judging many. Picking sides I never liked to do anyway.  After all I was one of the kids at school that nobody was likely to choose on their team. But when it comes down children’s right and their welfare I will always pick their side.   I might be spending quite some time on the borderline when it comes down to many things but when it comes down to children I know when to cross the border…and I will alway join them!  After all they are the future.  We are going to be judged by them…let that sink in…

BS!?

I have solemnly swore to myself that I will stay blog-wise away from the 45th president of the US till 2024.  Yes, I still predict T to win again in 2020.  The signs are there and honestly I do think that there are enough States out there who are very content & even thrilled with the way things are going down there.  No, I am not a citizen myself and so in a way I don’t think that I am impartial enough to give my balanced opinion about how the White House is running the federal government.   Still, I have got a very emotional relationship with that gigantic nation that has also shaped me as individual.   Having spend there a year myself and having been back already numerous times to visit friends and now also family I do think that I have a deeper insight into a nation that even starts to make less and less sense to many of us.

Not that there is no resistance at work and there are still enough voices out there who do try to point out why many disagree with what is happening.  Education and health care are just two of the things that will always make me wonder why they are so differently to our system but believe me in the mindset of many Americans social security is not the holly grail they are after.  In the land where many wish to have total freedom about their personal assets and wealth you are not always very willingly to invest into a system that will not automatically guarantee personal benefits.  Governmental decisions are considered in many cases a way in which a citizen might feel he/she might loose something he or she is not willingly to give up.  

Freedom remains a very hot topic in the US. It is that one word that has shaped the nation. So many adventurous souls have found there what they could not find anymore in Europe or other remote places.   It became the place where also many people found the liberty to worship their faith without the fear of being persecuted.  Plus that nation has granted over the centuries so many people opportunities to chase after their dreams.  

So yes, I still love that country. I wear my class ring still with gratitude and fond memories at heart and at touch down in any American city it does feel like homecoming.  Even the most imposing border control officer can not make me crumble. It is part of ‘the game’…and even the insane tipping (or at least when you are used to Belgium) I do with a gigantic smile and gratitude. Customer care is here also a total different ballgame and the weeks after a trip across the ocean I will always be a bit more annoyed how so many sales assistants do not seem to care or give you the cold shoulder.   Plus that I will always love to attend a church service in the States.   What I always find in a church I have not found anymore in my own nation.   Traveling to the US is being able to change gears and activate a certain personal modus that can make me feel so much more alive. 

Okay it is also linked with the intense relationships I have over there.  That there now also very close people have moved down there makes it of course a bit more personal as well. But still, there are some things that I will never ever get my head around.  Not that this also not happens while being at home.  One look at the newspaper and I need to run to the chocolate counter of the local supermarket to find some comfort.  Once more I have to calm myself down by using the mantra ‘Nobody is perfect’ and honestly I don’t think is there is one nation that has got it all covered.  Everywhere there are cracks to be found.

Yesterday I did decide to compose a tweet after trying to put the ‘18th’ shooting in a school in 47 days in the States. Yes, I first did think that these numbers were fake news but in one way they are not. You will even find a recent news article that will tell you that this is not a correct number and that some of these shooting did not involve any school children and have not caused any harm.  One of them took place on the roof of an empty closed down school.  So even the statistics are under fire when it comes down to getting a point across.  Let it sink in, 18 in less than 2 months!  Yes, I did predict shortly after that the president would mention rather the mental status of the nation than the fire gun involved in this drama.   That there were other more courageous politicians who once again did demand to change the legislation when it comes down to carry a gun was also predictable.  Also the calls for prayers for all involved and the gratitude for those who were first responders were not a surprise. 

There are so many people who will now make statements why this has happened again.   Numbers and statistics are showing up once again and believe me even my nation is not doing so well either when it comes down crime. We have our own problems to tackle and those also involve some irrational issues.  Belgium is surreal and many Belgians are aware of it and will not agree with what their government when it comes down to following the law.  In case you were wondering if we ever had shootings taking place inside of a school…not that I can think of but a few years ago did a certain individual walk into a day care center and did kill with a knife 2 babies and a day care nurse.  A very dark day in our national history. 

Can you imagine that you suddenly get a phone call at work from the police telling that your baby has died by a stabbing in a nursery? Unthinkable but it did happen.  It happened in Belgium and it did certainly took away a certain feeling of security.  The person who did commit these crimes has got mental problems.  These seemed to have been ignored and even his parents at the time had tried to point out that they were aware that something was not okay with their son.  Despite all the warning signs it still happened…and so we needed action. 

Suddenly did many day care centers had to change into fortified safe houses. Security became a major concern. In some cases you might not even know what there is a day care center when you walk or ride by.  All for security reasons. There are still people out there who are able to commit crimes and we can all get our hands on a sharp knife. But at least we have taken action towards to keep nurseries safer.  Not that this comparison is a suitable one. Still it is action undertaken by individuals who care, deeply care about the safety and wellbeing of others.

Already some parents and students have expressed their opinions.  Some of them have done it very fiercely and with a lot of conviction.  On top of that I also have read also some news articles who also put in question what these ‘victims’ say now openly.   We are even at the point that many will already shake (including elected officials) their heads and say that is won’t make any difference and they are even blaming other officials that this has happened on their watch.  Sorry but to use the words of one student that is BS. We all need to start somewhere. 

So if then  high school students suddenly say that time is up and something needs to change who are we then to say that they do not get their head around government.  These are children who go to school, are educated and take exams, write assignments about many subjects.  I think they will get their information somewhere and not only from googling it.  Plus in the States there is the subject American Government that you can take in high school.  From personal experience they very well explain how their government works and laws are made.  One of my best teachers at the time in the States was exactly my AG teacher.  He made me very much aware how politics and government works and he even made me reflect about how my own government functions.  I have not stopped being a critical thinker ever since. 

Over all I do personal think that when students and teachers speak up and when a community starts to express their feelings and thoughts about what they think is necessary should that then be ignored?  Personal freedom involves also a sense of security.  Safeguarded not only by a document written a few centuries ago.   If a certain group of people starts to question the situation then I do think that the politicians that have been voted into office have got the obligation to listen to their constituents.  Not only to those that have donated freely to their campaign fund.  And it is not that because the majority of school children does not have the right to vote yet that they do not matter.  That is actually BS!!!!  


From a personal experience I do know how the voice and the mind of a teenager can ‘change’ through out puberty but there is also something else that I more and more become aware being a teacher.  It are these minds that we help to form and that we get to invest in.  Not only parents raise children.  It does take a whole village to raise a child….if you then assume that these young minds will remain silent through out their whole teenage period then you must be living on Mars.  I keep saying that I as a teacher are the witness of amazing things that can happen in a classroom. It makes me heart jump. Yes chances are like that I would jump in front of a bullet to safe guard all my students because. Not that this part of my job description but honestly when my school goes into practice lockdown modus even then I for a split second become very much aware that I might end up doing the unthinkable. Why because if it is going to happen I might end up do things that I have never ever done before in order to save a life, any life. No matter what.  There have been teenagers and teachers inside that school that have done the unthinkable.  Even standing against a door to make sure that the shooter would not easily get access into the classroom.   I have a child myself who goes to school and I trust the teachers completely that educate A.

That mental issues are a bigger issue is also not a surprise.  All around the world do many, young and old, feel the pressure mentally weighing on them.  Many call out for help and therapy sessions are now also part of a teenage routine.  Yes, there are still people who will not find the help they are after or what that they do not find the right people who can help them due to many reasons.  It might take sometimes very scary things before people can/wish to see what is going on inside the brain of someone and even then.

My GP and in-house doc and my father have already numerous times pointed out that medicine is not an exact science.  Oh yes, when we are a patient we so much hope that a doctor will help out and get us back on the road to recovery as fast as possible  Well, psychology and psychiatry are in a sense more challenging then amputating a leg or arm. Not that that later action will not also affect mentally the patient.

It is a scary world out there and it will remain that. But that that there are people who try very hard to come up with ways to prevent bad things from happening is surely a blessing.  No,believe me that day care centers had to start to invest in high tech security measures was not done light hearted. People can still get their hands on knives and even guns.  That has not changed but at least many are trying to prevent that it will happen again.

Nope, the US does wish to have a ban on guns….that would be ten bridges too far.  Still if you listen very carefully then you hear very clearly that these youngsters wish to be taken serious and that they call for a government that is willingly to admit that there is more to be done than just send over their thoughts and prayers or visiting for a photo opportunity.  ‘No, a ban on guns won’t prevent bad things of happening.’, is a very lame excuse not to do something. There are so many ways to try to make society a safer place where the younger generation feels safer and more taken care of.    I don’t wish to see the US changing again into wild far West as much as I like the music of Enrico Morricone.  

The millennials are told to be a lot that many of us wonder to what the world has come to. But when I hear the students speak up (even the young ones) I am still hopeful.  The potential, the dreams, the aspiration, the courage, the creativity, the endurance, the faith, the strength to make a difference in the future is still out there even if when politicians, science and media is telling them that they might end up facing a very dark future.  Who are we to deny them a safe world in which they can become the individuals and the society they wish to be?  If you dare to call this BS then you take a good look into the mirror and then try to come up with at least one or two names who have granted you opportunities and kept you safe.  If your mind remains blank then give it an other shot. Aim right between the eyes because the answer is in front of you.  You do not even need a gun to understand this…honestly you do not…many children understand this.  And this is not BS….

The Tower of Languages.

It is the season that we celebrate and gift wrap and make sure that we drive home to hug those we love the dearest.  This year I have to miss a few people who in 2017 have moved away.  Luckily is on Christmas day arriving a certain flight from NYC that carries three people that we surely look forward to fill up our glasses with.  At the moment I am right on schedule.  I only had to cancel my trip to beauty spa due to my painful feet, lower back and my eye that still is fighting back the eye cream that I three times a day squeeze in there.  P tells me to be patient and so I am taking deep breaths.  So we try to stay positive on the injured body frontier and kicking our selves into Christmas spirit.

Oh yes, it is starting to look a lot like Christmas at the moment.  The Christmas trees and lights are all out and this year they surely make up for the lack of sun shine we are facing this month.  Up till now we had only two hours of sun shine to enjoy and that helps to make December as the darkest month so far. Needless to say that it already has got that reputation but this year it decided to add a few extra extra grey and dark days. So it surely helps that it is the holiday season in order to survive the gloomy weather conditions.  P even started us on Vitamin D chewing tablets.

On top of that I also survived my first long term of the school year.  The teaching part I never ever grow tired of. Surely I have got those days that I wonder why I stay in the language learning business.  Dutch is not the most straight forward language to teach to an international target group. I still consider it very worth while to learn a foreign language and I do envy those people who master more than four.  Some of my students tackle a lot of languages in one day. They are considered sponges on the language spectrum.  That my mother tongue is not on the short list of must-know-language-to-get-by-languages I surely understand. But please understand my point of view as well for once...please...pretty please!

Let us face it Dutch is not a language many of us globally speak on a daily basis. It is what it is. The last few years I have found out that speaking and understanding a language takes so much more than motivation and talent.  Some people just do not manage.  And in quite a lot of cases it has nothing to do with intelligence.  More than ever I do realize that speaking a language also is connected to future aspirations and also involves some extra time and energy. Plus that my mother tongue is blessed with some very interesting sounds we produce with our speech organs. Believe me there are people who do not get their heads around that.

My coworker and I do not give up tough to teach young students a few words and expressions. No, we passionately share the Dutch language with others. It is our job and we both take our job description very seriously.  Constantly we are looking for new ways to introduce vocabulary and also make them aware of how a language works.  Language awareness is a central idea in our Dutch language learning.  When a child in my classroom is able to make a connection between their mother tongue or any other language than fireworks goes off in my head.  It is proof that the brain is active during a language lesson. 

Oh yes, if I would be granted three hours a week to teach my mother tongue I would be able to do so much more. But it is what it is.  I am granted  55 minutes a week to do my thing and expand the language awareness of my audience. So yes, I still miss my secondary classes and audiences and coworkers. It is what it is…and I try to make the best out of it.

That the last few months I have been a bit quiet even when the national press and politics had some very intense discussions, debates and words about language learning and education is due to the fact that I have also learned that I just do not see social media fit to have such a discussion. I am even very willingly to state that since I am not teaching in a ‘normal’ or should I rather describe it as being a less straight forward educational hot spot gives me less the ‘right’ to speak out my opinion.  I tend to stand now a lot next to the field/fence when I read opinions about my profession but I never stop trying to get my head around the words and understand all the parties involved.  Believe me I have been very busy.

At a certain point I even had typed a Facebook status that stated that I not wish to express my opinion out there but rather prefer a face to face discussion/educational chat in the company of gin&tonic.  That is just me but honestly I do have some interesting teaching experience under my belt when it comes down to mother tongue in combination with learning an other language.  I do think that any language deserves a spot in an educational setting. The languages we speak define us.  Language is one of the strongest communication tools there is. It can built bridges and help to overcome prejudice. Yes, it does stimulate integration and cultural assimilation.  It can create friendships that will last a life time. 

But in the last few decades the world has changed. It has become more dense in many ways. That we are thanks to the internet able to ‘speak’ to each other is surely something very positive.  I sometimes click for fun on the the translation tool that Facebook has to ‘translate’ messages people type there in their mother tongue.  I challenge you to do this because it will amaze you what sometimes the translation tool with spit out.   But it is also then that I do become very aware of how much our languages are different. It is what it is…

When I started out teaching at my educational work hot spot I found quite rapidly that banning a mother tongue of child is nefast for learning languages. Not only learning wise but even in general.  My office is located next to the the room in which one of the most talented teachers I know introduces newcomers to the English language.  Now if you think that in there is only spoken English the moment they walk in, you are wrong.  I would rather describe it a language lab where all these languages collide and where the teacher needs to find a million ways to teach the dominant school language. Some kids pick it up in no time and others need some more time in order to express themselves in the English language. Time they are granted…

I now sometimes witness moments that blow me away.  Oh yes, believe me have got students who in now time can pronounce challenging words and sometimes even catch up with those that might already have  more years of any language learning under their belt.  Now is this because they are banned from speaking their mother tongue at school?  Well, most of students will speak their mother tongue at school but I also found out that they do tend to speak English the most. After all that is what we all in have common in school.  The English language connects us in the most intense manner what so ever. 

English is the fastest way from A to B in my school. It is the most powerful tool that empowers students to work together and create successful learning moments.  Does this mean that students are not allowed to use their mother tongue inside a classroom when tackling certain math problems or when they studying the Romans?  No,…I have picked up French, Dutch,  German, Swedish, Turkish, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Hungarian, Russian, Spanish, Italian and many more  in a classroom.  Has this caused problems for the teacher or/and students involved?  Not that I have been aware of it.  I have seen many children been able to cope faster with certain things if they were allowed to use that one thing they consider that one tool that can save them.  They seem to use their mother tongue rather as a way to make sense of their learning. 

I do think that education is one of the most essential rights a child has.  Globally there are still too many children that do not have the opportunity to learn. That in my nation there is compulsory learning till 18 I do call a blessing.  And yes that new comers are as quickly as possible send to a school I do think is essential in the integration process. That now some schools have found out that the languages their students speak can help them to assess and stimulate learning I do think is very positive.  It proofs that educators and school boards have come to terms that the 21st century comes along with a few extra challenges.

Now I can’t deny that learning the dominant school language involves energy and time.  On top of that you do need educators who learn and teach the target language.  My own capital still faces many challenges and education is surely one of them. Brussels is the highest tower of Babble in  many ways.  And it inhabitants not only speak French or English.  Some of them will go to an international school where they are educated in English or French by people who master this language. Some of them will even end up in a school that facilitate the education in their own mother tongue. Yeah, there is a for example a Swedish or Greek school in Brussels.  After all some these children will move back after three years to their home country and chances are very likely that they will follow higher education in their mother tongue than rather in English, French or Spanish.

There is one thing that all schools need in order to function optimal and offer high quality education and that is that they need teachers and also students who speak mother tongue the educational language. Many local French speaking parents in Brussels prefer to send their children to Dutch speaking schools and this for very obvious reasons.  But what if less and less people speak actively the language inside the school? When the instream of the students who attend the school consists mainly of people who never outside school speak Dutch or   Well, then I do think that the language learning aspect will be more challenging.  After all do children not only learn inside a classroom where one person speaks the language they need to study in order to pass their exams. 

You learn a language by putting it into practice.  Now the less and less a language is spoken by people in the context where they learn it the more important it is they speak it when they are suppose to speak it.  Dutch is one of those languages that you do not learn easily by listening to songs from K3 or binge watching ‘Thuis’.   In the 21st century Brussels and other major cities of this tiny nation many children speak more than one language and is Dutch not there mother tongue.  Not that this is such a big issue but it gives the learning process an extra dimension.

Any learning needs context in order to make sense of the meaning of learning. It is always much simpler to explain why you need to know or being able to do something when the destination is clear. Just learning something for the sake of it is not that motivating in itself. Surely you do have these learners who just love to learn anything. Now do not take me wrong but I even had a hard time to come to terms that learning how to fill out American tax papers. After all chances were very unlikely that I would ever move there. My American government teachers used the words ‘you never know’ but inside of my head I surly did not agree with her.

In Brussels we face the most challenge language learning there is in Europe and honestly I do think that momentarily many schools are not equipped for it. Sorry, it is what it is.  This is not criticism it is rather that in the last three decades so much globally has changed. That the skills a millennial needs in order to feel well prepared are ‘slightly’ different than when we were their age.  You do surely learn things that we question and find out about wonder why we had to learn them in the first place but still…

Yes, nowadays society demands a lot of a teacher.  The list is long and distinguished what they think a young adult needs in order to be a global citizen.  Is learning foreign languages a demand of the youngsters itself?  From what I see around me I can state yes but it is only of the skills they need in order to ‘survive’ outside the classroom.  Yes, I do agree that it is vital that teachers speak the target language as much as possible.  But believe me that all parties will benefit from a child who will explain it in their  that is able to help out when a student does not understand something. It speeds up the process in an 21st century classroom where so many more obstacles are to come over come than understanding the language most people speak in the room. 

Yes, please give our children the education they deserve and wish for. Invest in school facilities that are eco-friendly and that stimulate learning.  Give students the tools that they feel safe and brave enough to try new things.  Let a school be the setting where not only the teacher teaches but where children find out that they also are actively involved in the learning process.  That you therefor need highly qualified teachers is beyond any doubt.  So what are we waiting for to come up with a different way of educating the teacher? In this nation we still fail to do so.  Many still argue about the 'power' they wish to have in the whole decision making process but we are loosing precious time here....believe me!   Millenials are the ones who are going to rebuilt the world that others are now putting under pressure but they need to be equipped for the gigantic challenge ahead!

The context in which I need to be the best teacher I can be is surely the world in which I live and sorry for the moment we still do not seem ready to make some brave and cunning decisions.  That we Flemish-Dutch speakers have a very intense relationship with our language does not make it any less challenging.  After all is Flemish-Dutch one of the most outspoken ways in which a Flame can express him or herself. It is one of the few things we do have to show what we stand for.  The political and cultural fights that hide behind this language are so much more than a vocabulary list.  The Dutch language is one of the few things that we have left to show the rest of the world who we try to be. It defines us but it is only one aspect of us.  But where I do come from it is a bit more complicated. Believe me that we more than once will judge people by how well they are able to speak Flemish/Dutch.  Our Royal Family has now understood that sending their children to a public  Flemish/Dutch speaking school is rather important.  Momentarily rumors are that our crown princess Elisabeth can speak more fluently Dutch than French.  And this while her parents are known to speak rather French. (Again proof that the dominant language is the language of education combined with the language youngsters speak amongst themselves )

Well, believe me to many this matters.  Why?  Well..let us say that the majority of a tiny country does not always feel they are taken serious.  Flemish people are deep down very down to earth and are the last ones to take themselves serious. In general many of us are so good at putting ourselves down.   We hate to stand out and will always find a flaw.  Many speak very softly and will rather whisper than shout even when in being in an ecstatic state of happiness.   We will shut up easily when Dutch people suddenly enter board rooms and then will swallow down any arguments or opinion that might blow up the deal.  It is only when many of us sit in a dark corner of pub and orders a ‘pintje’ that we open up.  We gently and carefully use our mother tongue.  Flemish people tend to over analyze what they say and will rather listen before opening up.  We loose time...rather seizing the opportunity!

One of our exchange students from the States who managed to have full conversations with my grandmother. I have never seen my grandmother so happy that she was able to communicate with this vibrant girl who in less than a year was able to express herself in a language she would likely never ever again use in her future career. Unless she might end up fall in love with the Flemish person who had moved to the US or when she would start working for an international company who would send her to the Benelux.   Still she stole all our hearts and this forever!  And no, she might not have spoken it perfectly and gotten all the subtle differences and figurative speech but still she never ever gave up.  It was then also that my mother became very much aware that learning Dutch was not easy for everybody. 

If I do get into a debate with on other global citizen why ‘we’ make such a big thing out this I do try to tell him or her that we do not have something to show to the rest of the world what we easily can describe as ‘Flemish culture’.  Or at least it is not as easy to define it  in comparison  as many other cultures that surround us. The dominance of other nations in the past have made it very challenging to express what Flemish people stand for and how they differ from others. But the language is surely the most straight forward one. Believe me that a Dutch-Dutch speaker will come up with many arguments why we 'Flames' do not speak the same language as them and that we sound so different than they do.  Plus in the sixties we for sure made a very clear statement that we feel strong enough to take care of our own Dutch/Flemish higher education. People have put their neck out in the political arena to make this happen. 

So in my personal opinion do Flemish people tend not to be most outspoken about what drives them and what they are proud of.  In many cases what you see and hear is what you get.  We speak a language that not many understand but it connects a small group of people who for centuries battled with their identity and their family and cultural heritage.  In our language you can hear a lot of the internal battle we still daily fight. It is still about respect in the first place.  Discrimination on basis of the language someone speaks is on the work floor present... believe me it is there... the stories are there... but you do not read them in the headlines...but the result of this discrimination is missing out life changing&saving solutions &changes!  'Pride&Prejudice' is a timeless tale!  'TheTale of Two Cities' as well!

Now please do not the get me wrong!  I do think it is very essential that all Belgian citizens learn the languages we speak in our nation. People who choose to live long term in our nation need to learn a common language in order to make this a better place for all. Not only for the happy few. Or at least one or two of them. This does include becoming aware of the fact that many of them already communicate in other languages besides the language in which they have chosen to be educated is essential to get the most out of the learning process.   Yes, we need more teachers in Brussels (even tempted to say globally) that are up for this challenge.  That city has got the people & the know how in order to become a true educational hotspot globally where many educational innovations can be put into practice but then we do need to make some tough decisions in order to make it work for all parties involved. 

The past, present and future colliding in a classroom demands people who are ready to face the language of many involved. Do you honestly wish to live in a world where we less understand each other or rather in one where we find common ground or rather in place where we find risk takers who might be the ones who will come up with the next ground braking idea, invention, technology, design, theory, operation, that will make the difference in the lives of many? I think that is a very straight forward choice. They might not speak the language most of us speak in this country. But our lives might benefit from it as well in so many other ways.  Learning a languages is about becoming aware in what way we all differ but also what we have common. It connects and builds bridges.  It creates and stimulates to make connections in a structured and adventurous way. The tower of Babble is being built in my back yard but I do hope it will not end up collapsing like it did in that one particular story.

I did pick out no songs in my mother tongue to go along with this entry because I realy wish to get my point across. It is thanks to like people like Celine Dion (and I know many do not like her voice but still) that I did start to fall in love with one of my national languages.  Her winning Eurosong made me aware that I wanted to know what she is singing about.  And I love this song because we need to seize the opportunities when they show up also when it comes down to languages