Those who can, teach. . .

Teachers no longer rank alongside lawyers and doctors on the professional ladder,(rightfully so perhaps) and in the UK at least, they have a bit of a reputation as moaning coffee drinkers who lacked the ambition to achieve distinction in their chosen field. Hmmmm. The most hurtful insults always have an element of truth in them. But that picture is at best, incomplete.
It was never my ambition to teach. I don't know about my dad,(a teacher for 30 years) but I sort of allowed myself to fall into it. Its a secure job and despite the fact that, at present the whole profession is groaning under the weight of impossible levels of accountability, it is potentially very rewarding.
I enjoy the performance part of the job and I take great pleasure in the spontaneous, all singing and dancing cabaret lessons in which I lose myself, like an actor, in a creative moment with the kids. We do give each other alot of pleasure: Today, I got carried away acting out a scenario in which I was being rescued from a burning building by one of the students. The student(as I played him) shouted "don't die Thomas, don't die!" as I gave over-dramatic CPR to a pile of exercise books.
Then there's the discipline, (starting to enjoy this now) using only the force of your personality and the threat of detention class, to control a crown of yunguns, takes skill my friends! I have had some nightmare learning experiences in UK as I cut my teeth in some of the toughest schools in Sheffield.
Then there's the monotony of marking and the administration of record keeping, calculation, statistics and target meeting and setting. Did you have to do all this dad?
Then there's audits and inspections from peers and government, then theres materials design, then theres the deadlines (some useful, some not)
Then theres the pressure from exams...especially here in HK, it is intense.
Then there's the fact that while parents, children, teachers, administrators, government on the face of it have the same goals at heart, they often disagree, or partly conflict as to how those goals can be achieved. All makes for a healthy dose of work related stress.

but. . .

I can't think of another job where, on your birthday you get three cakes and so many gifts, or true respect and deference from hundreds of teens. And then deep gratitude from ex students and the friendship that come from that. Teaching CAN be the best job in the world. Not many people come and visit the doctor that operated on them.

Evolution. . . yes or no?

Over the last fifty or so years scientists have sketched out a plausable chain of events between a 'Big Bang' and the life and civilisation on Earth.
There are still some missing links in that chain. The proto-chemistry that somehow overcame the Amino acid-Protien, chicken and egg problem (you need one to make the other, and both to make replicating molecules like RNA and DNA) and then there's protein folding, and on the macro scale the apparent reverse entropy of evolution, well, there's still alot to sort out before we can follow the chain back to the Bang.
I want to ask my thoughtful friends around the world how they feel about evolution and it's decendants: evolutionary psychology and even evolutionary sociology. Is it reasonable for me to call myself an evolutionary creationist? Am I retreating like a coward or is it the only reasonable position left in a world with unreasoning zealots on both sides of the debate.
I think the evidence for evolution taking place is hard to deny now. I don't think it can account for a great deal however and am starting to explore the idea of 'steered evolution' a process that isn't mindless, but was started and steered, by God, with Humanity as the target.
Then there's a chain of reasoning that would then force me to take the Garden of Eden story as at least partly figurative. And the 6 days of Genesis is periods etc.
Where do you all stand on this key issue? soooo many 'chains' of reasoning!

Just got back from playing football, am muddy sunburned and bruised, but happy.
God bless you.

Forgive me for complaining. . .

One of the most striking culture differences between UK and HK is the attitude to work. I have just finished a 14 hour working day and that is, I'm heartbroken to admit, nothing unusual. My co-teachers at school are, as far as possible, very sympathetic to one another, and there is a good support network of teachers helping teachers that might have alot to do with Carmel being a Christian school.
The point is that it is expected that work takes precident over other areas of people's lives here. Whereas in the UK, meetings would be avoided unless their is a clear need with a clear objective in mind. Meetings are routinely scheduled outside normal working hours. These meetings are long, 3 to 4 hours, conducted in chinese and I am left frustrated and exhausted and angry afterwards. Nobody is to blame, it is just an example of my selfish British culture really having a hard time with the amount of sacrifice people make here.

I can do the job. But working chinese style does my head in sometimes. I can't accept sacrificing my health or wellbeing for a job. My colleagues do this regularly. It is normal for people to work while sick! to spend evenings at school, nights sometimes. My record working day is 20 hrs (my own fault) 7:30 am to 3:30 am. Tonight I left school at 9:30pm, I'll be back at 7:30 am. I have work to do before I go back too. You can see why a lazy western bloke might complain.

I want to be clear that I am not complaining about the people I work with. I have true admiration for Louisa, Ellen, Ronica, Maria, Grace and the whole English department. We are like a family. I just want to complain about the system. Its a struggle sometimes. Thanks for reading.

2:2. . . pure nerve wracking entertainment.

Emotionally exhausted. good game, Liverpool really look dangerous. We had a threat too and took the lead twice. Gerrard missed a pen. (hmm). Goal of the season from Erik (the viking) Edman. All round entertaining game. Well done Tottenham.
We have to win all our home games and get the odd point away to hold onto 7th and play eurofootie next season.
Any pundits out there care to comment on How you see Tottenham's prospects and their present team? (dez..?)