Back teaching again

These days that I am spending time running a little French workshop for my two nephews and their friend, Seán, have reminded me of what teaching class used to be like: the frustrations, the pleasures, the time spent preparing, the misunderstandings, and, oh the joy, when you realise that progress is being made. These guys are good to work with. They are motivated and eager to make this work for them. Seán has ambitions of becoming a primary school teacher so I'm fine-tuning what we're doing to play to his interests. We watched a YouTube trailer on the French documentary movie, Etre et avoir, and I urged him to rent it out at the local Chartbusters here in Galway.

My two nephews are pragmatic. They what they need to do to get the grade in the Leaving Certificate. It seems that there is a sharp divide between teachers who teach for the exam and those who communicate the heart of their subject. The latter are the ones who really educate, I think. One of my nephews has had a really exciting economics teacher who used books like Jeff Sach's The End of Poverty to get across key theoretical ideas. My nephew is now majoring in economics in college. It is what happens when a fire is lit.

Brother David Steindl-Rast

Just recently while tidying up my room I came across a copy of David Steindl-Rast's book, A Listening Heart. I had read it in the Nineties when I was a member of a spirituality reflection group. It was the word 'abundance' that leapt out from the pages at that time. It was a word that has stayed with me ever since. We need to spend each day in gratitude for the abundance of God's gifts.

Now that I am re-reading this book I am even more convinced of the wisdom of Brother David's spiritual teaching. It is harmony with so much of our contemporary appropriation of the Universe Story and of the Buddhist call to detachment, gratitude and letting things be. It is called 'life affirming spirituality'. It finds an echo with me. Especially at this time as I am recovering from what is euphemistically caled a 'cardiac event'.

For all that is, we give thanks.
For all that is yet to be, we say, let it be.

Creative spirituality for those who believe in the divine call to be creators and dreamers, rather than cynical seekers of self-assertion.

Galway Christmas

This has been a Christmas holiday to spend indoors. Unusually, Galway and Ireland have had a white Christmas. Temperatures have plummetted to below Zero. Something that rarely happens, especially here in Galway where we have the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream to bathe our shores in a warm current. No, instead, we've had polar blasts sweeping across the country. Lots of reports of accidents on the roads. Many roads are impassible. Our own N17, fortunately has been kept free as it is a national route. But the sideroads are very icy and dangerous.

I've been spending the last few days helping my nephews with their French Leaving Certificate preparation. Tough work. For them, especially. French verbs, especially those of the irregular kind, are not exactly fun at this time of the year. We spend every morning working on oral conversation, comprehension, verbs, bits and pieces of grammar with a sprinkling of French idiom thrown in. A poor alternative to the XBox waiting next door.

My reward each evening is some quiet time with a glass of Jameson and soulful music on the CD player. It is a great way to keep warm!

In Galway

I have come by train to Galway this morning (Sunday) to visit my family in Castlegar. The trip was largely uneventful except being the first train since Christmas the crew had not shown up except for the driver. So, there was no train manager (aka controller of tickets etc) and, believe it or not, no refueling crew. We had to stop on the way out of Heuston Station to fuel up. It was like stopping at a Topaz garage off the motorway before heading off. And, also, to my chagrin, there was no food service. Since I had had no breakfast before leaving the house (it being so early in the morning), I was pretty famished by the time I reached Galway at 11.30. Luckily, I had texted my brother, Noel, who made sure that there was some leftover breakfast available for me (a big unhealthy Irish fry-up).

Darragh and Tadhg (and their friend Sean) will be participating in a Leaving Certificate revision programme that we are about to run in house. I shall be responsible for the French component, Gregory for the Maths, and Mum for the Busines Studies/Economics end, as well as chasing up overdue assignments (Geography and Rural Science projects).

Happy Christmas and New Year

If anyone out there is still reading this, I wish you a Happy Christmas. I was perusing some blogs this afternoon and the thought came to me that I was once, in a former life, a fervent blogger. In fact, I introduced quite a few people to the art and pleasures of blogging but then, to my shame, realised that I had not blogged in a long time.

I wasn't altogether sure which platform I had used. Was it LiveJournal or eBlogger? So just on a whim I went over to eBlogger and sure enough my name and password were both intact. So, here I am once again.

On January 4th I start my cardiac rehab programme at James Hospital, Dublin 8. It is not too far away and the walk (or bike ride) there will do me good. The nurse in charge of the programme has told me that the first day will be quite gentle. On January 5th we do a stress test which will really push me to my limits. Hopefully, it will all go well. And it will, with God's help.

Back Again

Well, here I am back again after a long period away from Ireland. I have rediscovered my blogsite and I hope to return to regular blogging very soon.

I am recuperating following a period of illness. Illness concentrates the mind wonderfully. So I am busy at the moment discerning my priorities and wondering if I will be going back to work. An interesting oasis in the course of life.