Fluency versus Creativity...The French Conundrum

Apologies to all those who have so kindly read and even commented on my scribbling, because I have not posted a blog since well before Christmas. Problem is returning to the UK, selling a house, buying a house, medical stuff, Christmas and now waiting for solicitors to do what they do, has kept me from the keyboard.

But yesterday a chance conversation, whilst out walking with some English acquaintances (ex Anglo/Francophiles) made me consider again the  French teaching system. Apparently the couple had reared their children mostly in France & so both children, now adults, were bilingual. Choosing to capitalise on their linguistic abilities they chose their current university studies accordingly . However one offspring, combining Business Studies with French, had failed  his first year in French, mostly due to a lack of creativity. Grammatically & technically he was fluent, but in  application in a creative process he was not.

This so fits what I keep seeing in the teaching & learning within the French classroom, there has to be a correct & definitive answer, alternatives are not on the curriculum. What I experience  is a lack of creative thought, either taught or displayed, seems to be a commonality, quite something when you consider France is the nation of artist & romantics, seeming free thinkers.


 
Not so perhaps: Picasso was Spanish; El Greco was Greek (if that's not too obvious);Van Gough, Dutch...seems you just have to have painted in Paris and become famous and hey presto you become an honorary Frenchman. And all that café culture and absinthe made for a great mix of ideas and the avant-garde philosophies  were born.

But where did the romantic bit come from? Well maybe it was the Bonaparte & Josephine myths; the shape  of the champagne glasses and all that. Or maybe its what my granny might have said  "its all that sex in the language", which was her naïve & unknowing way of explaiing the genders of French nouns.
As far as she could see, "if they have all those 'le & la' and they do all that kissing when they meet, its going to cause problems". Now there is some free thinking...

I'm mindful of the fact...

I have recently completed an NHS Chronic Pain Rehabilitation course, based on ‘Mindfulness Theory’ Four weeks, eight days, of group cognitive therapy to give us a greater understanding of long term pain and strategies to deal with its effects on our lives. Chronic pain is long term pain which in my case arose from a riding incident in 2005.

I had been a keen runner, a gym addict, a brown belt in karate, a passionate windsurfer, an ardent long haul traveller, a keen horse, motor and mountain bike rider and top of my professional tree. After the accident I battled back to fitness several times, each time to relapse, with hospital stays, lumber punctures, scans, facet joint injections, physiotherapy, increasing infections and depression. Finally in 2010 I decided to take early retirement from my senior advisory teacher post, managing a team of twenty on teachers and assistants. It was no light decision, I had worked all my life to build my education, skill and experience and was very proud of the Head Teachers role and the positive influence I could have on children and young adults, but felt I was no longer able to give of my best and I didn’t want to let people down.

So the multidisciplinary rehabilitation course was my chance to understand what had happened to me and learn strategies to relearn & cope with my changed persona and the frustrations of daily life often with pain or fear of pain. The Impact Team, from psychology, physiotherapy, nursing, neurology and anaesthesiology, worked with us to help us understand our damaged central nervous system, our autonomic responses, our physiological struggles, our values and goals. Through discussion and Buddhist relaxation, to Mindfulness and Tai Chi we each came to a different understanding of where we were and, more importantly, how we could re-engage with ourselves and re-find our values. The concept of Mindfulness; focussing on the present, living for the day and awareness of self was key to our learning and our final task was to examine our values and set ourselves paced goals to move on with.

My values have always been rooted in ‘being the best I can be’, in ‘sharing and caring for others’ and in having pride in myself and use my academic skills. Hence one of my first steps was to reengage with the gym and another to keep up with my creative writing, so here’s the outcome of those first small steps. Getting in touch with those values and I set out for the gym.
Now I was fully aware of the date (Nov 11^th) and did notice the time (10.55am) as I got to the building, but what happened next blew me away. This was the moment I’d avoided for so long and I mustered all my positivity to, ‘live for the moment’ as I opened the swing gym doors.

It was silent, figures frozen, machines still, eyes lowered; the only sound from a single bugle being played on the wide screen. I had stepped out of my fearful universe into that two minutes silence in honour of all those who gave their lives in two World Wars. Now you can’t get a better example of ‘Mindfulness’ than that! Today I was taught by men, long dead, the meaning of life.

“Be kind to yourself”, those voices from the past asserted, “stay in this present moment!”As an old Moorlands farmer said to one of my new mindful friends “Eh lass, just be!”

So there it is; in mind and in print...I count that a small success!

Pumpkins past and Magical moments...

Halloween, has all but finished and, as the fireworks of November 5^th fade and the price of pumpkins drop, I’m left speculating on this, one of our stranger festivals.

 

As a child there was no ‘trick or treat’, no fancy costumes or parties, because Halloween melted under the greater English celebration of Bonfire Night. ’Remember, remember the 5^th of November. Gunpowder, treason and plot!’ and all the excitement of saving for fireworks & gathering round the communal bonfire put the carved turnip head lanterns to shame.

I was reminded of how bizarre the celebration of November the 5th actually was, a few years ago, whilst attending a village bonfire in the UK, with a young French friend. “Tell me again why you celebrate not killing a king, by burning an image of someone who was only a puppet in a conspiracy?” Put like that it sounds completely different, but I felt sure she too must have similar strange celebrations. “Quite possibly”, she replied, “but we killed our royalty and if we did have such a celebration it would be with fine food & wine”. Made my plastic cup of indifferent cider and over cooked sausage seem rather insipid...point taken!

So it started me musing about the whole Halloween thing, why it’s gotten so big and what now makes it a firm family favourite. I think it’s something to do with dressing up, wearing masks and carving pumpkins that appeals to our inner creative selves. When else would we encourage our children to roam the streets (albeit with an adult) and knock on complete strangers doors shouting ‘Trick or Treat’? Indeed a friend was taken with the concept of Halloween she took her border collie with coat laden with treats round the neighbours’ houses to deliver the goodies, such a lovely idea and how delighted those children must have been. Children like to be a bit frightened, look a bit scary and maybe, as adults, we too like the excuse to join in. Maybe it’s this ability to act out the powerful, scary or dark role that appeals; its escape from the ordinary and we get to play out late!

Now teachers and, in particular primary teachers, know this only too well and utilise any excuse to enliven children’s work with colour, description or imagination. We can add up broomsticks, describe witches and print with pumpkins, all in the name of education. And, if we are lucky we get to join in and dress up, because any teacher worth their salt is in touch with their childhood self.

At a friend’s school recently, the children were involved in the work of a local artist who had completed a mural entitled ‘The Magical Tree’. Children & staff were asked to dress up as something magical to create a colourful fantasy around Halloween. Two staff members, suitably attired were hurrying to join the fun when they were caught, mid sentence discussing their relative costumes;

“Well look at us”, one said “Never thought I’d see it, the drag queen bunny and the pregnant fairy!”

Now that’s an image to savour!

 

(With thanks to Neil Pumpkins and Sandra's Schooldays)

Its a French mind set...

The Colmont is a tributary of the Mayenne river which lazily winds through the sleepy villages and picturesque hamlets of the northern Pay de la Loire.
 It is here, close to the village of Brece. that an area for picnics, petanque and play has been made. A place of quiet, children's voices, babbling water and seasonal fishermen. In true French fashion it is simple, well planned and family friendly and affixed to one of the trees is a sign which states that parents are responsible for their children in this location.

Yesterday afternoon, walking in the area I watched as three young boys, between about six and eight years old, played in and around the riverside . Completely unaccompanied, they watched each other, never went too far and finally, holding the youngest ones hand, walked homeward. Attending to road safety and thwacking the passing vegetation, they carefully wound their way back to the village. French children are expected to be aware, act safety and generally be responsible, just as children did years ago in England.
Makes me think me of a conversation I had with a head teacher in 2009 in a township in Malawi (charity educational work). There was a a rough roadway down from the school, one side of which had a substantial drop.The children ranged from 4 ~ 14 years and daily several hundred children ascended  this track. So we asked the Head why there was no fence, no safety rail and his response was simple, " Why would they children go near the drop? They know that its dangerous so they don't go near the edge?"

Yet back in the UK we carefully guard, even cosset our children. Soft playgrounds, prohibitive signage and continuous supervision. Instead, IT, screens, technology, all very essential commodities replace real experience. if children learn to fear the outside world and  distance themselves from reality we encourage dependence and  isolation. Certainly children in the Pay de la Loire seem self reliant and engaged with their environment. And,though its very different, do the children in the suburbs of Marsaille or Paris I suspect. Their self reliance and engagement will be the same. Its a French mind set.

Culpable Kids & Cats

There's an expectancy of behaviour, that the French apply to equally, both children and cats. This expectancy ensures that the resulting  creatures, be they child or feline,  are very different from their English counterparts.

In school French children are expected to have all the necessary writing equipment available and to look after them. The school provide no pens, crayons, rulers, glue etc., its all down to the individual. French children get up to sharpen a pencil or borrow a crayon from a friend or get a tissue mid class or mid activity as the need dictates. There is no need to ask permission, only move at designated times or argue over materials, So many problems in the UK classroom can occur when children move... we don't trust them to do something simple, we over structure, even suppress independence. 

At the village school, here in France I was nonplussed at being told, by the class teacher, that  the gendarmes were in the adjoining room with several  of the children. My assumption was that some kind of safety instruction was being undertaken, but it turned out that the gendarmes were verifying  the identity of the children so that they could attend the various summer functions organised by the commune. The children were being held responsible and accountable for themselves and its this  expectancy which is so important. French society, at least in this largely rural department, expects that the children  be responsible for themselves and act responsibly, and so, largely, they do.
So to with French cats. these are not the pampered sofa loving, do as they please felines of the UK. The French love their cats, but treat them with  a similar expectancy to that of a dog or horse. If farm cats they are working animals, no different from cows or chickens. And, if domestic, they are expected to respond when called, be loyal to the family, possibly holiday with them and even walk on a lead. Now quite what they do to convince these creatures to do this seems to be down as much to pure expectation as anything; the cat is meant to behave in a social manner and so does. I can't imagine any cat I've known, running to greet  or when called (unless food is involved) and as to cats on holiday or walking on a lead, now that's unbelievable. But all these things your  French feline does as a matter or normality, its expected!

Now I'm sure it could be argued that certain parenting, teaching or animal training could and are applied in Britain, but this is not something that's set down, planned or prepared for. It seems that, expectation is deep in the French psyche. Its not a lack of choice, its more an expectation of  positive choice. Rather like, 'If your think something will happen it probably will...', there is cultural affirmation that it should happen and so it usually does.
Maybe its simply that our Gaelic neighbours, have an expectation  that the cup should be half full, rather than assumption that it might be half empty. Well 'a cat can look at a queen', they say and the French did have a nifty way of getting rid of their queens and kings. Perhaps its 'LaRepublique...peu-etre!

A stick is not always a stick

People often ask Ron, "what makes good art?" The majority of the general public can appreciate the skill and take pleasure in the photo realistic images of the great masters, but find it difficult to take the leap between this and any of the less obvious visual arts. It then depends on the degree of understanding, whether we can empathise with what is being communicated. Mostly we can appreciate the feeling shown in Lowry's  matchstick men and find acceptable the colour effects of Monet, but Picasso and Dahli now that's different. Even more so the Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst become harder to follow accept or rate.

When walking the randonee botanique, which passes Le Fresnay, one sunny shady summers day I bent to examine an unusual stick. Strange markings I thought and moved closer when to my absolute amazement, the said 'stick', reared up , inflated its head area in  menacing way and hissed loudly at me. Now you reaction to this depends on your attitude to snakes; from mild curiosity and surprise to distaste and phobia.

As our newest language guest, a doctorate student of French Law with research specialism in 'Proof', explained, its not about reality or even truth its about what constitutes a body of proof. Example: in UK law the evidence of a husband or wife is not considered 'proof' where as in France it is. Perhaps here the answer to 'what is great art',its the provable & sustainable and a bit like the snake that depends on your perception.

So when is a stick not a stick? When its a snake. And Ron's answer to the continual question as to what makes great art, is simple. His retort," I know a lot about art, but great art,well I know what I like"....

Baby wipes & Bike sheds....its all in the job

School Leadership V Headship

In 2009 I was successful in passing & obtaining my NPQH, National Professional Qualification for Headship.

Designed in collaboration with current leading head teachers and academics it is a rigorous masters level course running over 6 -18months. It comprises all elements, both academic and practical of Teaching &Learning, Educational Management and high quality professional leadership. It is one of the best higher level studies I have undertaken, with wide ranging applications.

I mention because of a conversation I had recently with an NPQH qualified friend and practicing head teacher. She mentioned that she had concluded that headship was ‘a marathon not a sprint’. Furthermore, excellent as the NPQH preparation was, it could never cover the day to day continual twists of school life. All those unplanned, unexpected areas & events that no training can prepare you for.

Here are listed ‘one hour in the life of headship’, all before 8.30am:

·         School caretaker, collecting the school minibus has not informed anyone & is waiting to be picked up from the MOT garage.

·         Cycle safety officer arrives, unscheduled and the key member of staff is not in school. Keys to said bike shed need to be located.

·         Informed that the drains are blocked and need immediate action, possible baby wipe overload.

Now STATS, Educational Standards, NC Planning &Ofsted, Performances management and Safeguarding, you expect in headship. Teaching & Learning Strategies, Behavioural Management, Dyslexia Awareness, Setting the Vision, strategic management and effective School Improvement Partnerships, are all predicted.

But baby wipes and bike sheds, now that’s in a different league. In headship, as in teaching, you’ve got to love it to do it well.