Who Do Teens Admire?

This week in my year 9 English class, students were delivering prepared oral presentations on the subject "A Person I Admire". I love this assignment. Every year, I have been delighted as students have usually prepared well and revealed the heroes in their lives.

Most years there are a couple of 'celebrity' heroes and they have predominantly been sporting and entertainment heroes until this year. I was delighted with the 'famous' heroes chosen this year, social activists, business people doing extraordinary things and courageous survivors were the only 'personally unknowns' in the speeches. This is really important to me because I feel young people need real role models. Role models that are worthy of their admiration and worth imitating.

Most students select a family member. Grandparents, mothers, fathers, aunts, brothers and sisters are all the people most looked up to by teenagers over the 6 years I have been teaching year 9 English. The love and gratitude the teenagers express in these speeches are precious. Whenever I can, I let parents know this because I wonder if they realise how much their young person appreciates and respects them.Usually they are surprised.

Tears came to my eyes in class a few times whilst listening to the speeches as they were so touching. As I looked around the room, some of the students were feeling similarly moved. I felt proud this class has created such a safe learning environment that they can share their passions and express their emotions within it. It feels human to me.

Girlosophy and Anthea Paul

Last night I went to see Anthea Paul speak at the Gippsland Womens Health Annual General Meeting in Sale. She is one of the most engaging speakers I have listened to, in a long time. I was very overtired and nearly didn't bother - I'm so pleased I did!

It helped that her message is exactly the kind of message I try to get out to my students every day. It's easy to like someone who agrees with you :-). Yet seriously, there is a woman who is a fitting role model for young women. She is passionate, intelligent and articulate. She recognises true beauty and spirit for what it is and casts all imitations offered to young women today aside.

Anthea has written a series of books for young women, which I will be purchasing and reading. I will no doubt share them here, when I am done. Her message is worthy and I intend to take it up. She is currently visiting a number of schools and communities in Gippsland, so if you have the opportunity to see her, do whatever it takes to get there. Take your daughter!

Doris Lessing wins Nobel Prize for Literature

I am delighted Doris Lessing has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. She is the 11th woman to win the prize since it began in 1901. Her novel "The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four and Five" is one of my all time favourite novels and it quite transformed me when I read it in my early 20s. I have only read a couple of other novels by Lessing, but this is a good reminder to read some more!

Anita Roddick - Thanks for a Life of Service

I am deeply saddened to hear that Anita Roddick has passed away.If you are not familiar with her great deeds this wikipedia article is a good starting point. When I began my first business at 20, I bought a copy of 'Body and Soul' and it became like a bible to me. I have also read and reread 'A Revolution in Kindness' and 'Business as Unusual'. She was such an inspiration to me. The world is truly a better place for her being in it. I am grateful to her, for all the examples she set. I wish her family and friends my condolences.

Courage to Care

This week has been excursion week for me. I think I have overdone it a little. I've been out 3 out of the general 5 working days at school. On Tuesday and today I went to Leongatha to the 'Courage to Care' exhibition. We took all our year 9 students to this event and since our school motto is 'Strong Minds, Compassionate Hearts', I think it was a valuable use of time.

The stories and speakers were courageous and focussed not on the horrors of their experiences but of the heroism of those who supported their survival of these wicked times. The exhibition has display boards of stories of the righteous.

The discussion groups after the talks and viewing the display helped us to apply the lessons and to see how we must retain our humanity and resist prejudice, treating all people as humans.

Poor Ned, You're Better Off Dead

I loved the Redgum song about Ned Kelly when I was a teenager, Poor Ned. Today I have been immersed in the legend of Ned Kelly.

First stop was to the State Museum in Melbourne to see their Ned Kelly exhibit and to participate in some art activities. The State Library of Victoria has the Jerilderie Letter online. They have the real thing at the library as well as the armour. My students completed an art activity making the armour in a well prepared session. I learnt today the letter was not published until the 60's as it was held by the government. When I say letter I would like to add this was an 8000 word document and was dictated to Joe Byrne (one of the Kelly gang) by Ned Kelly.

From there it was off to the Arts Centre to watch a performance called 'The Legend of Ned Kelly'. This performance was inspired by the Sidney Nolan Paintings and these paintings were featured in the performance. The performance was a mixture of puppetry and video and light. Some of the effects were quite impressive.

It was not mentioned today but I think it is interesting that 'The Story of Ned Kelly' was probably the worlds first full-length feature film. There have been many books and films made about the legend of Ned Kelly, the notorious Australian Bushranger. There was much discussion between teachers and students as to whether he was a hero or a villian. I was interested to note that many students saw him as neither, but rather a victim of circumstance. The Irish in my ancestry makes me want to believe he was a hero, yet I think the students were right.

Holiday Reading

I was limited to taking 2 books away for my holidays. Andy works hard to keep what we take away to a minimum, which is good common sense, but a challenge for me when I read so much. I took Isabel Allende's Ines of My Soul and totally enjoyed it. It was kind of violent though in parts. I enjoyed the character Ines though and as always enjoyed the way Allende writes.
The second book I took, one that I had already started was 'The Tesla Legacy' by Robert G Barrett. I have always been interested in Tesla, since I read about him years ago in Linda Goodman's book 'Star Signs'. I am looking forward to seeing the movie 'The Prestige', David Bowie, whom I am a fan of, is playing Tesla in this film. It looks like a great film anyway and I love fantasy. Hugh Jackman is another of my favourite actors, he's an Aussie too!
Anyway getting back to the book,it was a light and easy read with lovable characters and some interesting ideas. Andy read it also and agreed it was a bit childish in parts but still enjoyable.
I finished these books in Woolongong, so set out to find some second-hand bookshops on the way home to fulfil my need to read. My first find was 'Maestro' by Peter Goldsworthy in a fabulous second-hand bookshop in Kiama, where we stayed on the first night of the trip home. My son Tom has it on his booklist so I thought that would be a good buy. I loved it. I was quite surprised by it to be honest. I have read 'Keep It Simple Stupid' and thoroughly enjoyed that, yet found this to be a very different style. It deepened my love of Baci chocolates! I intend to read all his books this year.
Maestro was a short book, so my next find was 'The Moon and Sixpence' by W. Somerset Maugham in an op shop at Bateman's Bay. It was a very hot day and we had walked the streets in a frustrated search for a second-hand bookshop. Eventually we found the op shop and I couldn't see anything that interested me and Andy recommended this book as one he had loved. I thoroughly enjoyed it. In the beginning it was a shift in concentration because the language is less contemporary, but once into the story and characters, I couldn't tear myself away. It is a real journey. This book is freely available from Project Gutenburg here,as are a number of Maugham's other novels, which I will also read this year. In fact after this experience these holidays I think I will get some ebooks one of my memory sticks to take on holidays. The problem is when you are camping it's a challenge.
My final book purchase was from the shop in Mallacoota that has lots of second hand stuff and a range of books. I found a book there called 'Briar Rose' by Jane Yolen, which was another enjoyable read, but unfortunately I consumed it too quickly and was without a book for our last night at Orbost.

Happiness At Work

I read this blog last night. I totally agree with what the author is putting forward here. Work is such a central part of our life and if we aren't happy there it can be bad for our health. I love Riccardo Semler's books and I have also enjoyed Anita Roddick's writing on this topic as well as everything she writes.
I think happiness is always our own responsibility, yet having said that as an employer there are ways to encourage it and not. I look forward to reading Alex's book on this and watching his process as well.

I have lots to do today and normally this kind of workload would make me groan but I can't help feeling happy for lots of reasons.