Did you ever think of driving to work while watching the sun rise behind the Mediterranean sea, the morning light softly caressing the Pirynees with an exceptional view of the Emporda plains? I did not. Ever. And as a matter of fact it just happened last Friday whiled driving to Ies Castello on Friday at 7.45 am. What a sight! While crossing the fields with barely any traffic, one had a view of oneself of a modern farmer working from dusk till dawn…
Castello town itself is not to be missed either. A medieval town, well preserved and proud of its heritage overlooking the sea and the moors . A bit of a fairy tale spot.
The highschool is ultra modern architecture in its sort. Glass and concrete, straight lines, completely flat, next to the old public washer… Not a mere coincidence, I bet! Washing the dirty linen in public has never been an easy task for anyone… My mother in law still recalls using the public washer as a young girl in her home village Bascara, and between giggles and chit chats, carrying loads of heavy laundry back home… I can picture myself and some of my pupils the same way, dragging the school bags. 😉
As for the colleagues, a young generation of enthusiastic teachers ranging from late 20s to early 40s, engaged and cooperative, most. As far as the students go, it is the most multicultural school i have ever been to: 35 nationalities this year, colours and languages of the most diverse kind… Interesting challenge for a language teacher.

As June is slowly but firmly approaching, i can’t help looking back on this academic year that has simply slipped away faster than usual. IES Deulofeu in Figueres has been quite a challenging human experience for me, more than academic really. I had low levels this year so I could in a way relax in terms of homework correction and class preparations but I had other tasks to focus on. This school has been going on for 27 years and some of the teachers have been there from the start. That naturally speaks itself for experience, management, long term friendships and loyalty and so on. I had the feeling of entering a well established community of teaching and learning where I could learn a lot. And so it has been. Most of my colleagues are over 50 and have already been there, everywhere. They have long past the time for unhealthy competition, envy, results, acknowledgement… they’ve had it. it was encouraging to see the dignity of their final years, their engagement with everyday tasks, their savoir faire… i would like to picture myself in this way in 30 years time…
Thanks to my colleague Cathy i’ve take part in an exchange programme with Germany and in a Comenius with Hungary, Germany and Poland, visiting Hungary in May. Professionally very rewarding and a highly recommendable experience.
As usual, some of my students were excellent, some were ok and some were poor students. I’ve learnt from all of them, and I realize more and more that teaching involves first a human relationship of mutual respect and trust and after come the contents… whatever these are. Authority is no longer feared, looked up to, badly needed. Quite the contrary. It is often put into question and challenged. Authority from a teacher emanates from respect but not in a very strict, unflexible, violent, threatening way but cooperative, firm, kind manner for most of the students. Some have different pathologies which need special treatment (psychological, medical, law…) yet there are very few who do not respond to the warming-treatment, affection and attention. We all like to be cared for, don’t we?

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As the saying goes, don’t take anything too seriously… this blog included.