The predators and the prey

[[deleted user]]

Q2. Are you an introvert or extrovert? To what extent?

[Gorab]

Q3. Your idea of a dream vacation?

[Meera]

Your Fav poet?:)

[Horus]

Q5. Your favorite childhood memory?

[Gorab]

That's a lot of poetry! I'll remember this and come back to you whenever I need some good poetry recos!

[Meera]

Me too...but the english translation with :)

[Gorab]

Unanswered ones :
Q3. Your idea of a dream vacation?
Q5. Your favorite childhood memory?

If not comfortable answering any question, you can skip that question and let us know. We'll proceed with others.

P.S. : None of your examiners will be that lenient with skipping questions!

[Gorab]

Q6. For a beginner with poetry and beginner with Tagore too, which Tagore poetry would you recommend to start with?

[[deleted user]]

Gorab wrote: "Q6. For a beginner with poetry and beginner with Tagore too, which Tagore poetry would you recommend to start with?"

I really want an answer for this question. Please _/\_

[Gorab]

Ditsa wrote: "So sorry, guys. Its not that i don't want to answer the questions, but i was too busy to think about them (for i have never thought about either of them before)..."

At your leisure Ditsa. We do understand its peak exams season.
Take your time.

[Gorab]

Ditsa wrote: "Gorab wrote: "Q3. Your idea of a dream vacation?"

A: Anywhere and anyday with my whole family:) It will be even better if the package constitutes infinite classic literatures and films. :))"

Interesting. Do let us know too if you ever come across such a place :D

[[deleted user]]

Too bad, Ditsa, that none of us knows the sweet language Bengali is.

[Gorab]

So you floated in all the fond memories,.... the question has served its purpose very well :)

Will try out the english trans for Sahaj Path.

@Meera, We'd like to hear your opinion as well on the Tagore poetry part.

[Sundara]

Apparently I missed alot.
Tagore poetry..I wanna try but dunno how far I'm gonna enjoy it. Never have tried poetry voluntarily but willing to.

[[deleted user]]

Ditsa wrote: "Nishith wrote: "Q5. Your favorite childhood memory?"

When I think of 'favourite childhood memory' nothing particular comes in my mind. What comes is a collage of memories. So I am sorry, I don't k..."

Those favourites question are always like that!
Glad to hear that you have enough happy memories to make a huge list :)

[[deleted user]]

Sundara wrote: "Apparently I missed alot.
Tagore poetry..I wanna try but dunno how far I'm gonna enjoy it. Never have tried poetry voluntarily but willing to."

Same with me, Sundara. Except the poems in my textbook, I've never tried them. But now i really want to!!

[Gorab]

You have to decide Ditsa :)
I remember martin volunteering in... anybody else wants to volunteer as the next prey after martin?

[martin eden]

I volunteer! ^_^

[Gorab]

Awesome :)

[martin eden]

I'm waiting guys! I'm ready! Fire!

[[deleted user]]

Q1. Tell us a little bit about yourself, ma'am.

Q2. One positive and one negative word for teaching profession.

Q3. 5 famous people you admire most?

Q4. The typical three things-island question. Also the one book version of it.

Saving my last question for future use.

[HeyLucindaO!]

...good questions! Can't wait to read the answers:D

[martin eden]

A1. I'm 36 years old, have 4 bothers and 7 sisters from the same parents! My parents are Portuguese but I was born in France. I grew up in a small villlage, in a very big, noisy house! When I was a kid, I wanted to be a journalist, especially in the army. But God had other plans for me! I moved at the age of 18, leaving my parents to live on my own and study English in Strasbourg, I was living in a very small room in a students' residence and I met the man who would become my husband 7 months later! Yes, we met in November 1998 and married in June 1999. I was only 18, I decided to keep it secret from my family for two years. The wedding was really funny: we didn't know where the city hall was, we didn't wear special clothes, we have no photos of that day (we didn't think to bring a camera!) and I had to cook for our guests (my brother-in-law and his wife and my best friend). We just fell in love, love at first sight. And we are still deeply in love. We have two daughters, one is 11 years old and the other one is 8.
I decided to become an English teacher because I wanted to share my love for that language. So I took the special degree and became an English teacher in 2003. I was 23 years old. At the beginning, some colleagues thought that I was a student, I was really young and since I'm small... I remember the first time I was sent as an examiner. The school manager led me to a room where people were waiting. I first thought that they were teachers because they were older than me. So I asked where were the students I had to interview... But these people who were waiting were the students to be interviewed!
I had students who were the same age than me! One year, at the end of the school year, one of them told me that I could go clubbing with them!
I no longer have this problem now!

A2.one positive word for teaching: sharing

one negative: grading!
(do you want me to develop?)


A3. 5 famous people I admire: Nelson Mandela, Malcom X, Jack London.

A4. 3 things I would bring on an island: a notebook, a pencil, a knife (and that's only because I couldn't carry my two daughters and my husband easily!)
the notebook and the pencil (not a pen): because I love writing things and drawing.
the knife: to defend myself, hunt, kill animals or cut plants to eat
The classical answer, nothing really original I think.

the book I would bring: the Holy Koran.

[HeyLucindaO!]

@ Martin

Fascinating! More questions for you....

Q5. Where is your favorite reading spot, and Q6.when is your favorite time to read? Describe the details please :)

Q7.What is the most annoying thing that happens to you while you read?

... you asked for it :)

[martin eden]

A5. My favourite place to read: in my bed in between my two daughters who are reading too! Either we share the book and so the reading or each of us has a book. I love when we share the same story and play the different characters.
I also like to read in public transports, I'm so absorbed by my book that I can miss my stop! I don't drive (one of my phobias!) so I spend a lot of time commuting.

A6. Actually I can read anywhere, anytime! I like to read while cooking, walking, queuing, waiting at the doctor's, traveling,... But, I really love to read early in the morning or in the evening.

A7. I can make a list of annoying things that I've already experienced while reading!
- people trying to read what I am reading (in public transports)
-someone listening too loudly to heavy metal so I couldn't concentrate anymore! (I decided to tell that person that if he thought that I was interested in listening to his music, he was wrong!)
- be forced to stop while something so important is going to happen in the story
- walking into a dog's poo because I was so deep into my reading that I didn't see where I was walking...
- forgetting diner and so burning it

[Gorab]

Great great answers! A5 is a heavenly feeling!

Q8. Most cherished moment in your day to day life?

Q9. Hypothetical - If you become God for a day, what will you do?

[martin eden]

A8. My most cherished moment is when I come back from school with my daughters and we have what we call in France "le goûter": we have like a snack around 4 or 5pm. And we talk about our day, they tell me about what they did at school, what happened during the day... We drink a cup of milk (coffee for me) and eat cakes or pancakes. That's a really important time for them, they can tell whatever they want, give their point of view, or advice... It's a peaceful, joyful moment. We are seperated for 7 hours so it's our daily reunion!

A9. I can't answer that question! God is Perfection and so He knows and I'm His poor creature who knows nothing!

[Gorab]

*Applause*

Q9 had a background. A great Indian poet has given teachers the status above God.

Translated verse:
If God and teacher both are standing together
Whom should I revere first?

O Holy teacher it must be you
For because of you only I am enabled to see God.

[Gorab]

martin eden wrote: "A2.one positive word for teaching: sharing

one negative: grading!
(do you want me to develop?)"

I'm also against grading. Yes please develop this further. We would like to get your insight.

[Gorab]

Q10. A non-family member you are closest to... and why?

[[deleted user]]

Wow, ma'am. Amazing answers.
*Joins Gorab in applause*

[[deleted user]]

Gorab wrote: "*Applause*

Q9 had a background. A great Indian poet has given teachers the status above God.

Translated verse:
If God and teacher both are standing together
Whom should I revere first?

O Holy t..."

Unexpected from you :D

[Gorab]

Why unexpected?

[martin eden]

Thanks guys!
I better understand Q9 now, Gorab! But without God, teachers couldn't show His greatness...

A2. sharing is the most important and valuable part of my job. I'm not a teacher, I'm sharing what I know with others: students but also colleagues. And the others share a lot with me too! Students have a lot to give, and they are eager to share: their knowledge, their passions, their opinion, their fears and troubles... So I'm a sharer and it's really enriching! I was thinking about the book Pay It Forward. And I think that it's exactly what I am doing. I'm not paying back for what my teachers did for me, I'm paying forward thanks to what I received.

And grading is what I dislike the most in my job. I really think that we would be more efficient without grading. Teachers can see if one student needs more training. We must give more importance to help, communication, sharing, mutual assistance. We should highlight each student's skills and use them to enhance other skills. We should focus on the 5 senses to make them discover new things and experiment new things by themselves. We only focus on achievement translated by good grades. But actually bad grades have greater value than good ones! I often tell my students to fail and to question their failure. I tell them that they can learn from failures. I also tell them that for me the most important is to try things and experiment, if they don't manage, they just need to analyse why and try something else. Grades are fake, practice is real and so the most valuable.

A10. A non-family member I'm closest to...: It's one of my best friends. We are a group of 8, and we meet every Tuesday morning to talk, laugh,... And one of them is really important to me. She is amazing! I admire her for her courage, her intelligence, her wisdom and good sense, her kindness. When I need help, she is always here. When I was really sick last year, at the hospital, she was here to help me with my daughters. And it was really hard for her too because she has health problems too. I also admire her way to deal with life and hardships. She never gives up, she keeps faith. She believes in God and humanity. She is so calm, kind, nice to people, even when people are bad with her. I think that she really knows me better than I know her. I'm always discovering new amazing things about her! The most important thing is that when I'm with her, when I'm talking to her, I feel that when I leave her, I'm always better than when I met her. She has that power on people: to make them better.

[HeyLucindaO!]

(Joining in the applause) Love these Q&A's. Great stuff!

Q11. What is your signature dish at home?...In other words, the dish your family most request you / your husband cook and why.

Q12. What is your favorite nostalgic meal and what is the special memory attached to it.

[martin eden]

Thanks Maya!

A11. I can feel Gorab behind his screen waiting for that answer!
I would say either lasagna (my youngest daughter's favorite dish) or lentil soup or fish and chips (I cook different kinds of fish and have them in a great plate, the girls love that) or salty pancakes. It's really hard to choose! To help me answer that question, I asked my daughters which dish they would choose. They didn't help, they made a list! :-))
I am the cook at home, I'm not a bad cook but I wouldn't say that I'm a chef! I like to cook but it's not my favorite hobby!

A12. My favorite nostaligic meal: easy to choose! It's bread soup and raw cod. When I was a kid, my mom often cooked bread soup when I was sick. I was the only one to like that dish! So bread soup is like the thing my mom made only for me! We were 12 kids and she cooked it especially for me! It was like Paradise on Earth! My brothers and sisters were grumbling and I was exulting!!!
And raw cod is linked to my father! He loved to eat raw cod after work, with a dash of olive oil and garlic. I loved to eat it with him! I'm Portuguese so cod and potatoes were the main food when I was a kid! We ate cod at least 3 times a week: raw cod, cod fillet, roasted cod, cod in the barbecue, spicy cod fish cake, salt cod and potato mash...

[[deleted user]]

Wow, great answers Martin :)
Right about Gorab lol

Q13. (My last question, since every member is allowed to ask five questions at most)- If not an English teacher, what else would you be? (Don't say a French teacher :P)

[HeyLucindaO!]

martin eden wrote: "Thanks Maya!

A11. I can feel Gorab behind his screen waiting for that answer!
I would say either lasagna (my youngest daughter's favorite dish) or lentil soup or fish and chips (I cook different ..."

You have made me lol with these answers Martin. So funny.

[martin eden]

A13. I wouldn't be a French teacher! But I would love to have a bookstore with a small café. I would organize debates, workshops, creative writings, times to tell stories to children... It would be soooo great!
I would also love to do home schooling. I would love that. I've been considering this for a long time actually. Moreover, my daughter is dyslexic and I really think that it would help her more than school is helping her. The French system is not made for such children and it considers dyslexia as a pathology not a gift.

[Gorab]

martin eden wrote: "I tell them that they can learn from failures. I also tell them that for me the most important is to try things and experiment, if they don't manage, they just need to analyse why and try something else. Grades are fake, practice is real and so the most valuable."

__/\__ Respect. I respect you so much more just for these words. Wish there could be more teachers like you in this world. From where I come, grades are the most important aspect and best students are judged based only on grades which is so unfair!

Loved all your answers... And thanks Maya for bringing up those interesting food questions :)

[Gorab]

I'm thinking of a couple of more questions... and will chose them wisely before exhausting my 5 quota.

And based on these speedy and well thought answers, am sure you never would have missed any assignment in your entire life!

[martin eden]

Thank you so much Gorab! Grades are so important in France too that students show their disagreement when I decide to develop a project without grades at the end! They want to show their grades everywhere: on their résumés, their reports... So when I ask them to write a skill-based résumé, they are completely lost, they don't even know what kind of skills they have developed! For a lot of people grades are synonym of intelligence! Look at his good grades, he is so intelligent! But that's wrong!
Our society is based on a grading system: teachers are graded, banks are graded, countries are graded! That's WRONG! What about skills, what about thoughts, what about feelings, what about humanity?
I'm actually really angry with the system! When I started, I was deeply convinced that grades were the most important, that they allowed us to distinguish "good" students from "bad" students. And I was the real proof of it: good student, I had good grades and so succeeded... But I learned that lots of students, who don't have good grades, are "good" students, and they won't succeed (doing what they really want to do) because of these grades! Some are so stressed by grades that they commit suicide, pressure being unbearable, some become depressive, anorexic, aggressive... Some develop phobias, and a lot are not confident, thinking that they are stupid.

[martin eden]

BTW, I've never missed an assignment! :-))
I hate being late. So I try hard to be on time, to be organized. But it's really hard sometimes! ¬_¬

[Gorab]

Totally agree... and unfortunately there is no easy way how this could be changed. Though I see a silver lining - some schools are switching to more practical teachings and laying lesser stress on grades. Don't know how successful this initiative would be but happy at least more people are aware of it and trying to do something about it.

Which leads to the next question.
Q.14 Your criteria of success and failure in your own life? To be specific, when do you feel successful... and when do you feel failed?

[martin eden]

A14. That's a very tricky but really interesting question!
If I work hard on something and don't reach my goal, I fail. But I'm deeply convinced that failure is part of success. There is always something to learn, to analyze. The most important is how you work to achieve something. The result is to God. If you trust God, even when you fail, you're successful. Because you don't know what God has planned for you...
I wanted to be a journalist so I worked hard for a competition (to be accepted in the school of journalism). I was not accepted, I failed. But only in appearance... I wasn't meant to be a journalist. And now I'm happy I "failed"!

[[deleted user]]

You are such an amazing person.
And Gorab was right. Things are even worse in India. But few changes are coming, just because of people like you!
In case if you are interested, I'll suggest this Indian movie that truly depicts the flaws in education system, but also gives us hope that there's always an open door -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0986264/
(#82 on IMDb Top 250, this movie is one of the best of Indian cinema)

[Gorab]

Bravo! Such amazing answers Martin :)

[martin eden]

Thanks a lot, guys! I just try to do my job as best as I can. Thanks for the link, Arpit! Have you ever read The Freedom Writers Diary or watched the movie? It's an amazing and true story. I really admire Erin Gruwell!

[Gorab]

I've seen that Hillary Swank film. We (me and wife) immensely loved it. I like such themes where emphasis is given on character building rather than just academic teachings. To Sir with Love was another good example.

[Gorab]

My last question.
Q15 Who is your inspiration? And the reason for that.