Teacup Café XLII

[Mari]

Oh, they did that here too in two steps: first they abolished technical schools, because hey, who needs those? If all kids just study hard enough I'm sure they'll get to the same level! So then they had to organise theoretical schools at different levels (we now have six) which sorta worked out for the higher levels, but really didn't for the lower levels since some kids just need to learn through using their hands instead of their head.

And now special ed has to merge with ordinary schools because everyone deserves the same chances. Well, that last part is true, but what it comes down to, is that every class I teach has at least one kid with ADHD or ADD, 1 or 2 kids with some form of autism, up to 7 dyslexic kids and spread through the classes there are some kids with serious anger management and/or anxiety issues. I even have two classes of together about 50 kids of which a grand total of 3 kids have nothing officially wrong with them. (Please note that with the term 'wrong with them' I don't mean to imply kids with any sort of psychological, learning or whatever disability are 'broken', I just mean they don't have a label of sorts)

[Ingwe]

*Narration*

After having spent countless thousands of years on his undying island, the mundane began to bore the old Highest of the High Kings. By now, boredom had become offensive to him, and thus every single day was a violation of what he had by now become. So, Ingwe decided that it was time to enjoy a little stroll.

What would be an epic journey, even to any other elf, seemed to go by quite quickly for him. Then, one night as he camped amongst the comforting and mundane trees in the utmost south of this great undying land that he knew all too well, he slipped entirely from consciousness and awoke in what seemed to be the same place. It was indeed not the same place at all. He was not only miles away from where he had once been, but was outside of the distance and time that had been so familiar to him. Had he slipped into another reality, or another realm altogether?

As Ingwe brushed the dried leaves from him and prepared to return from his journey to the mundane life of a king, he came upon a being who would alert him to the reality that he had not yet absorbed: that he was not in Kansas anymore. He walked with this strange person, who seemed not like an elf but more like a human: very unexpected. Then again, he did not expect to awaken in a completely different reality. What was Ingwe to expect? His mind told him that the only rational thing to expect was ... the unexpected. And this mentality would indeed serve him right as his guide led him to a great city; at least, on this world it was a great city.

"To where do we roam?" Ingwe asked the guide.

"The Imperial City," replied the guide, "as you are no doubt a High Elf nobleman, you are being brought in for questioning."

"Great," said Ingwe. "I fall asleep in the woods, awake on a totally different world, and now I'm already under arrest! Not as if you'd believe my story!"

"And you would be correct," replied the guide, who was really nothing more than a soldier serving in the Imperial Legion, in the service of Emperor Victus Mede, son of the late Titus Mede II. "We've heard lots of stories from your kind."

"Our kind?" asked Ingwe. "You mean Elves?"

"What else would I mean?" asked the guard in reply. "You are either a politician serving the Aldmeri Dominion, or an agent working for the Thalmor. Whatever the case may be, we will get to the bottom of this, and avenge those lost when your kind sacked Anvil."

"Anvil? Aldmeri Dominion? Thalmor?! These are all completely foreign concepts. From what I can gather, you are at war with people who, in appearance, are similar to me. But you are mistaken, as I am at war with no one."

"Of course you're not," replied the guard. "Your deceit will only hasten your end, elf!"

Ingwe wished to be reasonable, he really did. But this guard wasn't having any of it, and Ingwe wasn't going to have anymore of it either. "I do not wish to harm you or anyone else, friend. But you are putting me in a very awkward position. I am not of this Aldmeri Dominion or this Thalmor, and this Anvil, I've never heard of it. We come to it at last, human. You will either believe what I am saying and allow me to tell my side of the story, or you and your people make an attempt to interrogate and kill me. The latter will not work in your favor. You have a choice: between life and lifelessness. Whatever troubles your past has awakened in you, you must let that go if you are to survive. And I will, as always, be merciful."

"Spoken like a true agent of the Thalmor!" exclaimed the guard as he armed his warhammer. "Down with the....!"

The guard did not get a chance to finish his sentence, nor follow through with his blow. But Ingwe had not run this guard through, as his sword had been confiscated. He had merely incapacitated him with a punch. He told the man that he would kill him; however, when the moment came, he refused to finish him. In essence, he lied. In sparing the man's life, had Ingwe possibly opened this man to his claims that he had traversed a chasm between worlds, or would he in the end be forced to slay him? The guard would not be awakening for some time: perhaps several hours.

Free, Ingwe pitched a tent and allowed the Imperial Legion soldier to get his sleep. He thought on what he had left behind. Though his life was not quite as mundane as it had been, with all of these new surroundings, he was already beginning to long for Valinor. But it was not likely that he would ever see that place again. Ingwe had grown so powerful in his magic that he was able to gain access to one of many world-holes, yet he was not nearly powerful or knowledgeable enough to reopen the same one through which he had just traveled.

After months of convincing the Imperial Legion that he was what he said he was, Ingwe came to accept that this was now his world; that the old world had passed on and that Tamriel was now his new home: his new mundane island which itself, out of some irony, was a part of a realm known as Mundus. He would come to realize that sparing the Legion soldier's life was the right thing to do, as Ingwe was now simply another part of the Imperial City like everyone else there. He would come to meet the Dragonborn, and partake of the dragon language, and realize that he was now not much different than any other elf on this world. Ingwe: from kingship to prisoner, from prisoner to common merchant. What a change in life. Through the realization that he would likely never see his family back in the Undying Lands, along with his experiences in this new land, Ingwe came to appreciate the 'mundane' and even came to love his new job: selling fish that he caught in Lake Rumare (the lake surrounding the Imperial City).

Years after the Second Great War between the Imperials and the Aldmeri Dominion, Ingwe came across a familiar face: the guard whose life he spared on the day that he left his world behind. The guard smiled and said, "welcome back, Ingwe, my friend." And Ingwe smiled back, saying to him and to all those standing guard at the western gate of City Isle, "and it's great to be back!"

And so it was said that after 3 years of having been missing from the Entmoot, Ingwe returned with all kinds of yummy, yummy food and a secret recipe for coffee that turned even the most depressed customers into Tom Bombadil enthusiasts. And cheese was to be enjoyed by all! And of course, the subsequent constipation some would experience after partaking in far too much cheese. But still, the side effects of the coffee and chocolate made up for that, and a merry time was to be had by all!

And at last, to conclude our story, Ingwe addressed his long-lost friends. "Now you know my story. Well, that is if you've been paying attention! Now, please, let us hear your story. How do you do?"

[Earniel]

Hey Ingwe, how are the twins these days?

Originally Posted by Mari

Oh, they did that here too in two steps: first they abolished technical schools, because hey, who needs those? If all kids just study hard enough I'm sure they'll get to the same level! So then they had to organise theoretical schools at different levels (we now have six) which sorta worked out for the higher levels, but really didn't for the lower levels since some kids just need to learn through using their hands instead of their head.

Good grief, you're even further down the path of madness than we are! Now, I can understand quite a few children from special education can make it in the standard level with a bit of help and consideration from classmates as well as staff. But surely that can't work for all of them, even with the high level of overdiagnosing kids with 'issues' these days. Some need quite a bit more personal care than a teacher can give in a class of thirty.

I don't know if the Netherlands have the same problem but over here (mostly primary) schools can have about half of a class of students who don't even speak any of the Belgian languages. That alone puts enough pressure on teachers since they first have to teach the kids a new language before they can even start to teach them anything else.

[Mari]

Thankfully that's not really the case here! o_O How did that happen?
But yeah, some special ed kids could manage in normal schools with extra help, but there's not enough money to accurately guide them. Also, sticking them in classes with 31 other kids is just wrong.
By the by, they are advocating to bring back the technical schools here

[Earniel]

Botched migration policies mostly. Lots of families with young kids that don't speak Dutch or French at home any more. And sadly more than a few who think the school should raise kids rather than, you know, the parents themselves. There are big regional differences, mind.

Back to technical schools eh? Heh, how typical.

[Mari]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

And sadly more than a few who think the school should raise kids rather than, you know, the parents themselves.

That is a very common problem here as well. And that alongside the princes and princesses-syndrome. *sigh*

[Rían]

Gosh, Mari, I can't imagine how you deal with all that!!! *Moothug*

[Mari]

Oh, it's doable enough and it keeps it interesting. I have had some boring jobs in my life and I'm glad I'm not stuck doing that every day. It IS hard to give every student the attention they deserve though. It's something I'm still learning to do.

[Valandil]

Is there any kind of homeschooling movement in Europe? Or is it allowed at all?

[Mari]

It's allowed in very rare cases, but the rules are very strict. We have a lot of different sort of schools here, both in level and way of teaching such as Waldorf and Jenaplan, but also in background. Protestant schools, Christian schools, Catholic, Muslim, non-religious and many more. IF you can't find your pick here, you're not looking hard enough.
Basically are schools are pretty good, but they could be better if the government wouldn't play around with education as muchas they do. And every time you reluctantly put their ideas in action, they change their minds and you have to change your education again.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Mari

That is a very common problem here as well. And that alongside the princes and princesses-syndrome. *sigh*

Yeah, as a teacher you're in the front row of those cases, isn't?

Originally Posted by Mari

It IS hard to give every student the attention they deserve though. It's something I'm still learning to do.

It's to your credit that you continue to pay attention to this. It IS hard and I've seen quite a few teachers give up on that when I was in school.

Originally Posted by Valandil

Is there any kind of homeschooling movement in Europe? Or is it allowed at all?

It is allowed here but to my knowledge not very popular. We have many schools of many denominations and the overall level is quite high. It isn't easy to get a child on that level on your own especially if it wants to pursue higher studies after that. And then there's the social component of school as well.

[Mari]

On a very different note: I'm re-reading LotR and enjoying it a lot. The last couple of years I mostly re-watched the films, so sometimes I'm surprised by the actual course of events in the book. I must say, I do think the book is better I said it before, but now I say it again with my fresh outlook.

[Noble Elf Lord]

Bloody pantsies, I came here to wish "Happy Midsummer's!" to everyone, and there's that whole school discussion-e... maybe I'll partake.

...

Nah, I'll just brag about how good a schooling system we have in Finland - world-class...
That did sound worrysome though. While special kids not getting the much-needed personal guidance is a problem everywhere, it seemed to me, after working at my former school for two years, that lack of discipline is much more dire a problem here. The brats are so very knowledgeable on their rights, they may do anything... I doubt this made it to the news anywhere else, but there was this event when a teacher almost literally threw a student out of the class room for being so disturbing. He got sued, but did not get fired. The opinions on this are rather spread, I understand. I'm glad he gets to continue. Mind you, the student wasn't harmed at all, he was just removed from the room.

I really hope they'll pass the law for allowing teachers to order students to work, not sit in detention, which has become a joke here. There's no respect whatsoever for the staff when it comes to the worst brats.

Oh and Ingwe, nice story... I'm so into Skyrim now. Hunting with my Bosmer werewolf is so... different and interesting from my usual Skyrim-is-my-treasure-sack- system. I always give strict RPG-rules for my chars


So: Happy Midsummers to one and all!

[Mari]

Oh, you find the lack of respect here too. It starts with the parents who don't respect the teacher and his authority. If the parents don't respect it, why should the children?
We had e case last year where a principal was thrown in jail for escorting 2 kids out of the classroom whilst touching them. The kids were obviously wrong, but because the parent sued, the principal had to await his sentence in jail. This sparked social outrage of course and once again it became clear how far away a lot of people are from the field. They think kids are harmless and cute and would never do such things so of course it's the adult who is wrong. Unfortunately a lot of these people are politicians.
The principal was cleared of all charges and the police apologised for putting him in jail by the way.

It's always interesting to me that in these 'think tanks' for education who come up with plans for schools and how they should be run, there is hardly ever a real teacher. It's always professors, psychologists, etc. but no one who has actually taught a modern class.

[Noble Elf Lord]

Yeah, I remember the arts teacher (my "main boss" if you will) tell that this one kid, the worst I've seen, was bragging to her once that his father makes a lot more money than she does. I thought "...And how does that relate to anything...?" And get this: his father is a principal in another school. The whole family, I hear, is a bunch of [insert bad insult here].

But aye, another very serious problem is that the deciders know nothing but how to fill their own pockets with money. Thinking about them always makes me wanna go knife-happy. "I'm not murderous, I'm feeling creative with weapons."
Ah well. There have been some surprisingly smart, attitude-y moves by some politicians, I may yet have hope. *shrug*

[Noble Elf Lord]

Oh and this is from a webcomic I read, and while I don't agree 100%, I'd say it's a good read.

http://xkcd.com/1227/

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Mari

It's always interesting to me that in these 'think tanks' for education who come up with plans for schools and how they should be run, there is hardly ever a real teacher. It's always professors, psychologists, etc. but no one who has actually taught a modern class.

Funny that, eh? I have noticed that here and there too. There's one local politician, a mayor, that is constantly being presented as a 'traffic specialist' in the media. Dude, making your city one of the most difficult to navigate with speed bumps, one way roads everywhere, ill-placed flower beds galore, terrible public works, and where daily cars crawl around the city's market instead of drive, does not make you a traffic specialist. Frankly, personally, I'd suggest the opposite...

[Mari]

I'd say it DOES make him a specialist. Just not in getting the traffic flowing
As my colleague said today: they all try to leave their mark on their field and they don't care if it's a stupid idea. It's just one giant pissing contest for them.

[Varnafindë]

And they don't care if everyone else is pissed off?

[Mari]

It's not 'everyone else' that is pissed off. Just the people who actually work in the field they are making rules for. The rest of the Netherlands doesn't know what's what. Educators try to tell them, but media aren't always fair in their articles. We often come across as a bunch of whining people who don't want this new miracle cure for all our problems because implementing them would be too much work for us. And we shouldn't complain because no other job has as many holidays as teachers do anyway, so what are we complaining about?

The field certainly doesn't have a lot of impact in the grand scheme of things. Take our last school innovation from 2002 for example. Back then, educators said it would not work, but politicians forced it anyway. So they did what politics told them to do and indeed it did not work. The concept has been changed significantly from its original form over the years and gradually it's going back to what it was before the change (though not completely of course). The woman who thought of this great plan is still lauded for it. If people remark on how it had to change to work, the rebuke is that the plan DOES work, but was implemented too fast and the schools were not precise enough in following the plan.

That's how these things work.