As I start planning my trip back to Australia in November, I realise that I am not feeling so easy about the whole thing. Strange really, as I ahve cried, moaned, and pittied myself for the best part of the alst 3 years about poor me, no chance to see the people I have loved the longest. Why though? What makes me feel all stringy in the stomach? What provokes the feeling of hmmmm, perhaps I will just go when I have rights to take leave?
I flicked through my facebook pics last night and saw pictures of old friends with new loves, new cars, new children, new pets, new jobs - all of which I know nothing about. I am like a visitor who has never been before to a lot of people. I have the old times stories, I have the 'do you remember when....'lead in line with many of them, yet the 'now'stuff (see I know how to use quotation marks correctly being an English teacher) I am as foreign too as the old stuff of many of my friends here in Brazil. I am now seeming to be living in a halfway zone of new and old friend.
I ahve managed, thankfully, to keep myself in reasonable shape, so when I go back it wont be, "Wow that Hayley Gogeff got porky" I ahve managed to keep myself very educated and well travelled, which should facilitate conversation, depending on who I am talking to.
Everything here is so comfortable. I know where to geta great bite to eat (Giu and Kate), I know where I get all my great imported things (Jess and la palma), I know where to get my party on (the couch girls who have numerous pics in Rachel`s album of VIP guests) and I know where to get my schooling from (too manyplaces to name here). yet, when I go back to good old cultural Melbourne, I will be like a tourist in my own city! I don't knwo where to eat, where to party, where to buy great books, where to pick up the best mushrooms. I don't know what the drink of choice of anyone is (although being Australian I gues that would be anything with alcohol in it). I do however, know what I like and don't like. I know that my tastes have changed in a major way since I left that little town and that big city that I oscilated between all those years ago. I know that my opinions, are even more open minded than they were back then, controvertial some may say.
I guess what I fear is not fitting in. It is almost like going back to school again, ang being the stranger whilst everyone else in in their comfortable little group.
I don´t want it to be difficult, or uncomfortable. I do hope that the subject matter is interesting and upbeat and a whole load of laughs.
I guess while I am here with my friends and family in Brasil, I have my work, my style, my girlfriends, my puppy and my darling Tiago that all represent the Hayley of today. And I love that. I love the comfort of it, the natural way of it all.
I dread the fact that I am going to be listening to native English speakers making crass grammatical errors all the time, just the thought of the classic Australian interchange of me and my makes me cringe. Imagine when a 'yous' comes out or an 'I seen the uver (other to the rest of us) day...' comment. It pains me to the back teeth to think that all the work I do here with PoGo Communications teaching, reviewing text, translating etc is all but gone to waste when I see my students off to the homeland only to have them e-mail me upon arrival to ask "Miss Hayley why did you teach me X when everyone says Y...?" in a muddle because I have taught them how to speak correctly.
So, nerves and all I will be visiting the homeland for the first time in 4 years in November of 2011. Quite an achievement for a girl who didn't even own a bed this time last year (thank you Aunty Hilde for you help and guidance).
So, I am going to do some research, educate myself on the psyche of the human who must readjust to one's natural habitat over a short duration of time. Study, it seems to me, along with the exchange of personal experience, to be the key factor in dealing with most of lifes prickles. Find out the lastest, greatest and unique (Marcos) about anything and with the power of knowledge, you can conquer.
Any tips, email me please!
For the meantime however, keep studying, keep finding out new information to make yourself a more interesting person and a more useful tool to both yourself and others.
Miss Hayley
PoGo Communications - Brazil
quarta-feira, 29 de junho de 2011
terça-feira, 28 de junho de 2011
Behavioural education, crime and a good book.
Yesterday I took a blog day off for reflection. I don’t know that it did me much good, as I seemed to just fill up that time with a long list of things to do that otherwise would have waited but I think I got a good amount of time in there for some reflection and consideration of behaviour, crime and education.
I am reading a wonderful book at the moment, lent to me by my darling friend Kate, The Secret River. It is just incredibly interesting and full of facts, some dark, some uplifting.
It shares the tale of Londoner in the late 1700s caught thieving, shipped off to Sydney and, plonked in the middle of nothing to start all over again only to achieve a whole lot more than he ever dreamed he could. It is a story of success and triumph, of love and loss and a clear demonstration of the behaviour that we are forced to partake in when the wrath of hunger and poverty beat down upon us.
This is all very interesting for me on many levels. As a teacher here in Brazil, I deal with upper middle class to high society. I don’t see anyone who is hungry, I don’t see people who need for anything, in fact the most common thing I witness here is the compulsive nature of a consumerist society (not excluding myself here) where there is always a thick water building up in the mouth as the taste of the next purchase to facilitate life comes to mind.
I am, however, not ignorant to the many of us who live on this beautiful, exotic continent who do not live in this manner. Who live by thieving their next dinner, begging for basic necessities in the street and turning to glue sniffing and smoking crack to keep the hunger pains at bay. Gosh, the number of times I have bought disposable diapers in the pharmacy at the request of a bleary eyed mother or father, flanked by at least 3 other children is countless.
So why, I ask myself, is it that we are so focussed on the reduction on crime? Why are we so quick to punish these people for possession and thievery? The answer to these problems lies in community policing and education. Police need to be revered rather than feared and social inclusion programs, such as some of the many provided by NGOs, government divisions and public organs need to be supported financially and otherwise to encourage the less fortunate of us to grow and prosper.
The law cannot be changed for those of us who are hungry, who have mouths to feed and not a penny to bless ourselves with. However, some considerations and the implementation of education in place of a jail term could more appropriately take the opportunity to rehabilitate a person, make them a more capable member of society. That is what jail is supposed to do, correct me if I am wrong, but penitentiary centres are for the re-education of the behavioural issues that some members of society suffer from?
So once again education triumphs. This article is but another demonstration of the positive turns education can give person. It opens opportunity to learn the skills to earn a living, honestly. Education gives the techniques to think for himself and make better decisions to benefit one’s family and then finally, education give one the ability to reason well, consequence and action. Is it worth stealing my neighbour’s car if I don’t have enough money to pay taxes and gas for it beyond this month...?
Keep educating yourself and take part in educating others. Scold less and explain more.
This is probably my favourite part of my life here in Brazil, I get to be an educator of language, culture, history, sport, politics anything my students want or need to know about.
Thank you Brazil for giving me this opportunity and also for educating me.
Have a great day.
Miss Hayley
PoGo Communications
domingo, 26 de junho de 2011
It is important to have nice manners
After a trip to my one and only, my favourite absolute supermarket in Brasilia Pao de Acucar today we have just eaten the most delicious fake souvalakis you can get your hands on.
The supermarket provided some interesting entertainment. It amazes me how so many people, well academically educated or otherwise have absolutely no manners at all. I find this disappointing and a little bit shameful as it is becoming quite apparent to me that the importance of good manners is becoming a thing of the past. I say this after a man left the line prior to my arrival and then abruptly informed me of his place being infront of me without any concern or worry that what he was saying was both rude and not the way that lines work.
I was brought up to believe that manners were as pertinent to life as air or water and the failure to demonstrate them resulted in a swift kick in the backside or a slap upside the head. It was amazing how quickly one learnt to always use one's manners at home, at school, in the street, everywhere and anywhere you went. My parents found it one if their main responsibilities to make sure that my 3 sister and I were equipped with excellent manners and the social skills to survive in any situation. I dare say that their methods were questionable but the result I must say was quite an achievement.
The highlight of the afore written paragraph is the fact that it was my parents personal decision to make social skills and good manners a personal quest. Nowadays, in a society of nannies and babysitters, afterschool care or at times no supervision at all, children are just not equipped to enter society and be socially aware of the prerequisites that that entails.
The other aspect of this problem is that nowadays both parents usually work, business hours are longer, life pressures are higher too, so does that mean that tired busy parents are resulting in under-educated children socially?
I hear a lot of parents say "I pay a fortune for my child's schooling so it is their responsibility to educate them." I also see in my class that I am constantly reminding my students (children and adults alike) of the importance of saying please and thank you, sorry or pardon instead of 'WHAT?' and it is amazing how foreign my students find it when I do this.
I find it said that so many parents have reliquished responsibility for so many aspects of their childrens learning process. However, I am not sure that these parents are even all that aware of what their actions will result in. As for the adults such as the man mentioned above, I imagine that his life would be far easier if he were polite with other people.
I am not sure that there is a manual defining the responsibilities of the teacher, the parent, the nanny, the school carer etc ready to download but I am quite sure that having manners is important and whilst in my classroom, I will always demand that my students have lovely manners that they use with me, with their classmates and anyone else they have contact with from the school.
I think that nice manners and being polite always get your further in life than being gruff, rude and impolite.
So, thank you for reading my post and please do come back and read it again in the future.
Take care and enjoy the last part of the weekend.
Miss Hayley
PoGo Communications
The supermarket provided some interesting entertainment. It amazes me how so many people, well academically educated or otherwise have absolutely no manners at all. I find this disappointing and a little bit shameful as it is becoming quite apparent to me that the importance of good manners is becoming a thing of the past. I say this after a man left the line prior to my arrival and then abruptly informed me of his place being infront of me without any concern or worry that what he was saying was both rude and not the way that lines work.
I was brought up to believe that manners were as pertinent to life as air or water and the failure to demonstrate them resulted in a swift kick in the backside or a slap upside the head. It was amazing how quickly one learnt to always use one's manners at home, at school, in the street, everywhere and anywhere you went. My parents found it one if their main responsibilities to make sure that my 3 sister and I were equipped with excellent manners and the social skills to survive in any situation. I dare say that their methods were questionable but the result I must say was quite an achievement.
The highlight of the afore written paragraph is the fact that it was my parents personal decision to make social skills and good manners a personal quest. Nowadays, in a society of nannies and babysitters, afterschool care or at times no supervision at all, children are just not equipped to enter society and be socially aware of the prerequisites that that entails.
The other aspect of this problem is that nowadays both parents usually work, business hours are longer, life pressures are higher too, so does that mean that tired busy parents are resulting in under-educated children socially?
I hear a lot of parents say "I pay a fortune for my child's schooling so it is their responsibility to educate them." I also see in my class that I am constantly reminding my students (children and adults alike) of the importance of saying please and thank you, sorry or pardon instead of 'WHAT?' and it is amazing how foreign my students find it when I do this.
I find it said that so many parents have reliquished responsibility for so many aspects of their childrens learning process. However, I am not sure that these parents are even all that aware of what their actions will result in. As for the adults such as the man mentioned above, I imagine that his life would be far easier if he were polite with other people.
I am not sure that there is a manual defining the responsibilities of the teacher, the parent, the nanny, the school carer etc ready to download but I am quite sure that having manners is important and whilst in my classroom, I will always demand that my students have lovely manners that they use with me, with their classmates and anyone else they have contact with from the school.
I think that nice manners and being polite always get your further in life than being gruff, rude and impolite.
So, thank you for reading my post and please do come back and read it again in the future.
Take care and enjoy the last part of the weekend.
Miss Hayley
PoGo Communications
sábado, 25 de junho de 2011
Practice makes perfect and Try, try, try again.
Motiviation is my topic today. It is something that passes in fleeting moments for some and yet for others is like a fire in the belly that burns faultlessly allowing them to acheive their goals/desires/dreams or at least to push on in the event of being required to jump a few of life's hurdles, in order to get their piece of the pie. For others that sensation of running after something big, chasing the dream, it simply just never comes. Mediocrity never bothers them, in fact, I think that it almost comforts them.
I have always found myself to be quite a go-getter. A person who always wanted things on the top shelf, out of reach. I always had to scheme and plan as to how I was going to get those things to be mine. I have for the most part been very successful in doing so, there really are few things that I am yet to accomplish that I have set out to do, which is quite amazing really. It is my belief that this is largely due to two major facts. Of these two important facts, the first one is that my grandparents always told their story of working very hard and not being afraid of hard work to achieve what you want. The second is the fact that I am the oldest in my largish family of 4 female siblings, so there was always work for me as a leader within the family unit. I could never be the follower as I was the eldest and it was my role to lead the sisters to do what my parents required, hide the things they weren't to know, explain the facts they couldn't and be a reference for them in any situation. That is what the eldest child does in the Gogeff family.
So with these two facts, I was influenced to always do what was required and expected and work very hard, never to be afraid of hard work. These to simple factors in my life taught me to always do what was necessary and more to get what you want and I am very thankful for that. Yet, this still doesn't motivation. I don't know where motivation comes from exactly but after a lot of contemplation, I think I am beginning to understand some of the contributing factors to its presentation in people.
I think that motivation often comes from a mix of consequence and perhaps also from a little bit of fear of the past in some cases. Knowing what can become of ones choices gives a certain level of incentive to most of us. Knowing that if we get an 'A' on a test we get a present from mum and dad yet if we get a 'D' we get a wrap over the knuckles and no TV time for a week motivates even the laziest of us to study harder.
So after that long introduction and release of personal information I want to talk about my students and their motivations. Their motivation to attend class, to study at home, to participate in class, to pay money for education, to utilize their skills obtained during my class and to continue to further their already adept language skills.
Upon my arrival home from my class last night with little Clarissa, I can tell you that there are two motivations for her to participate in class. One is that if she does I don't get upset, speak to her mother and get her in trouble and the other more motivating yet, is the opportunity to increase her sticker collection by being a good girl who participates, is polite and practices what we study in class.
Yet, upon arrival from my very small class today at Cultura Inglesa I pondered the motivations of my late-adolescent to adult students.
When I woke up today at 6am it was very cold and I already knew, subconsciously, that this would take a few of my students from class today. The fact that I have recently given a lot of tests and that there could be more would take a few more. I remember that the long and very challenging CAE (Certificate of Advanced English) cource is coming to a close in just 3 mere weeks, meaning people think that the classes could be less beneficial than personal study time in the library. Goodbye to a few more students. When I arrived at class to a total of 5 students from the 17 that should have been there. I wasn't surprised but I was disappointed. How can I motivate my students to come to class even thought it is cold, and there are tests and they are tired of studying on the weekend? How do I make them see that the hard work is worth the result of a great grade on their CAE exam?
Is it through a personal phonecall, an e-mail gently reminding them of their responsibility to attend class? Is it through a cold gaze and a scolding tone when they all appear at the last class of the course for the bonus pre-exam tips? I don't know! This is what I have realised today, I know so much about language (about the English language in particular), about being a good teacher, about getting results and dynamism within the classroom, catering to learning styles and sucking production and use of English right out of them without them even knowing but when it comes to really motivating to push through the hard times, I am completely lost.
When it comes to my private students, the people who come to study with my our company PoGo Communications people are always highly motivated. They also often have to make a presentation to many in their second or third language on a highly specific area. That would motivate me too. I always have the odd student who stops doing their homework that I need to highlight the importance of writing in English in a professional environment or someone who is so convinced that their area of weakness is not of equal importance when it comes to studying their area of strength. A quick in-class test usually is enough to jerk a student back into focus. Yet teaching one-on-one makes this process far more feasable than teaching 10 or 15 or 20 on 1 as I do at times.
So, if any of you have any ideas about motivation, where it comes from, why it goes and how to call it back (preferrably to stay) please do let me know.
For now I am off, going to enjoy my weekend here in Brasilia by taking a stoll by the lake at Pontao, perhaps having a delicious Specialito at Gula Gelada and finally, cleaning up the mess that shows the lovely dinner Tiago and I enjoyed with our dear friends Jess and Mau last night.
Take the time and think about what motivates you, and for those of you who are already motivated, keep on going after what it is that you want. I am highly motivated when it comes to the precious commodity that we call education. I am motivated to make it accessible to everyone, everywhere. I could do with some more motivation in other areas of my life though, some rethinking shall be done this weekend, a little selfmotivating in the savings department is most definitely in order!
Enjoy your weekend people, keep studying and enjoy the learning process.
Miss Hayley
PoGo Communications
I have always found myself to be quite a go-getter. A person who always wanted things on the top shelf, out of reach. I always had to scheme and plan as to how I was going to get those things to be mine. I have for the most part been very successful in doing so, there really are few things that I am yet to accomplish that I have set out to do, which is quite amazing really. It is my belief that this is largely due to two major facts. Of these two important facts, the first one is that my grandparents always told their story of working very hard and not being afraid of hard work to achieve what you want. The second is the fact that I am the oldest in my largish family of 4 female siblings, so there was always work for me as a leader within the family unit. I could never be the follower as I was the eldest and it was my role to lead the sisters to do what my parents required, hide the things they weren't to know, explain the facts they couldn't and be a reference for them in any situation. That is what the eldest child does in the Gogeff family.
So with these two facts, I was influenced to always do what was required and expected and work very hard, never to be afraid of hard work. These to simple factors in my life taught me to always do what was necessary and more to get what you want and I am very thankful for that. Yet, this still doesn't motivation. I don't know where motivation comes from exactly but after a lot of contemplation, I think I am beginning to understand some of the contributing factors to its presentation in people.
I think that motivation often comes from a mix of consequence and perhaps also from a little bit of fear of the past in some cases. Knowing what can become of ones choices gives a certain level of incentive to most of us. Knowing that if we get an 'A' on a test we get a present from mum and dad yet if we get a 'D' we get a wrap over the knuckles and no TV time for a week motivates even the laziest of us to study harder.
So after that long introduction and release of personal information I want to talk about my students and their motivations. Their motivation to attend class, to study at home, to participate in class, to pay money for education, to utilize their skills obtained during my class and to continue to further their already adept language skills.
Upon my arrival home from my class last night with little Clarissa, I can tell you that there are two motivations for her to participate in class. One is that if she does I don't get upset, speak to her mother and get her in trouble and the other more motivating yet, is the opportunity to increase her sticker collection by being a good girl who participates, is polite and practices what we study in class.
Yet, upon arrival from my very small class today at Cultura Inglesa I pondered the motivations of my late-adolescent to adult students.
When I woke up today at 6am it was very cold and I already knew, subconsciously, that this would take a few of my students from class today. The fact that I have recently given a lot of tests and that there could be more would take a few more. I remember that the long and very challenging CAE (Certificate of Advanced English) cource is coming to a close in just 3 mere weeks, meaning people think that the classes could be less beneficial than personal study time in the library. Goodbye to a few more students. When I arrived at class to a total of 5 students from the 17 that should have been there. I wasn't surprised but I was disappointed. How can I motivate my students to come to class even thought it is cold, and there are tests and they are tired of studying on the weekend? How do I make them see that the hard work is worth the result of a great grade on their CAE exam?
Is it through a personal phonecall, an e-mail gently reminding them of their responsibility to attend class? Is it through a cold gaze and a scolding tone when they all appear at the last class of the course for the bonus pre-exam tips? I don't know! This is what I have realised today, I know so much about language (about the English language in particular), about being a good teacher, about getting results and dynamism within the classroom, catering to learning styles and sucking production and use of English right out of them without them even knowing but when it comes to really motivating to push through the hard times, I am completely lost.
When it comes to my private students, the people who come to study with my our company PoGo Communications people are always highly motivated. They also often have to make a presentation to many in their second or third language on a highly specific area. That would motivate me too. I always have the odd student who stops doing their homework that I need to highlight the importance of writing in English in a professional environment or someone who is so convinced that their area of weakness is not of equal importance when it comes to studying their area of strength. A quick in-class test usually is enough to jerk a student back into focus. Yet teaching one-on-one makes this process far more feasable than teaching 10 or 15 or 20 on 1 as I do at times.
So, if any of you have any ideas about motivation, where it comes from, why it goes and how to call it back (preferrably to stay) please do let me know.
For now I am off, going to enjoy my weekend here in Brasilia by taking a stoll by the lake at Pontao, perhaps having a delicious Specialito at Gula Gelada and finally, cleaning up the mess that shows the lovely dinner Tiago and I enjoyed with our dear friends Jess and Mau last night.
Take the time and think about what motivates you, and for those of you who are already motivated, keep on going after what it is that you want. I am highly motivated when it comes to the precious commodity that we call education. I am motivated to make it accessible to everyone, everywhere. I could do with some more motivation in other areas of my life though, some rethinking shall be done this weekend, a little selfmotivating in the savings department is most definitely in order!
Enjoy your weekend people, keep studying and enjoy the learning process.
Miss Hayley
PoGo Communications
sexta-feira, 24 de junho de 2011
Maiden Voyage
So, blog number one. Quite important really. As an English teacher the first thought that comes to my mind is "what kind of writing style does a blog require?". I am torn reasoning a response to this question between the informality of group communication and the fact that this is essentially an open journal. So as I ponder the rigidity of my tone and the level of my register, I see that regardless of the internal stuggle I am writing as if I was talking. So informal it is, written speech.
After an exceptionally productive meeting with my lovely business partners on Wednesday night at the cafe SEBINHO on 406 north, I have decided to become a blogger. Yes, it is partially business and yes, it is partially advertising but it is also a big part personal interest in the world of blogging and online sharing of information. As a teacher the importance of online communication to learning has been apparrent for some time now but as a member of modern day society I have always been a little behind the times in term of being involved in online communities. Oh of course I am on Facebook and I have countless Twitter accounts out there somewhere to which almost all of them I have lost the passwords. However, never have I really entered the deep dark backwaters of the streets that exist in the world of BLOG.
Well, that is it for my first entry (is that what you call this, an entry? Someone please update me on the correct blogging terminology, and fast!) as I am off to teach my little Clacla very soon.
Today we shall continue to learn of the amobinalities suffered by the lovely Rapunzel at the hands of her wicked step-mother, practice spelling by doing some look-write-cover-say-check exercises and of course finish class with a big monkey hug to say goodbye.
Enjoy your evening - keep learning
Miss Hayley
PoGo Communications - Brasilia - Brazil
After an exceptionally productive meeting with my lovely business partners on Wednesday night at the cafe SEBINHO on 406 north, I have decided to become a blogger. Yes, it is partially business and yes, it is partially advertising but it is also a big part personal interest in the world of blogging and online sharing of information. As a teacher the importance of online communication to learning has been apparrent for some time now but as a member of modern day society I have always been a little behind the times in term of being involved in online communities. Oh of course I am on Facebook and I have countless Twitter accounts out there somewhere to which almost all of them I have lost the passwords. However, never have I really entered the deep dark backwaters of the streets that exist in the world of BLOG.
Well, that is it for my first entry (is that what you call this, an entry? Someone please update me on the correct blogging terminology, and fast!) as I am off to teach my little Clacla very soon.
Today we shall continue to learn of the amobinalities suffered by the lovely Rapunzel at the hands of her wicked step-mother, practice spelling by doing some look-write-cover-say-check exercises and of course finish class with a big monkey hug to say goodbye.
Enjoy your evening - keep learning
Miss Hayley
PoGo Communications - Brasilia - Brazil
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