Today Sat 15 of Jan 2022 | with our best wishes from the Gold Coast in QLD Australia: Happy New Year
Peter H Bloecker, StD i.R.
Gute Lehrkräfte braucht jedes Land!
Von Australien aus die Bildungslandschaft und Diskussion in den unsozialen Medien betrachtend komme ich zum Schluss und fasse zusammen, worauf es m. E. wirklich ankommt in unseren Schulen. Wenn junge Menschen die Schulen verlassen, sollten sie lesen und schreiben und rechnen können und Denken lernen, höflich und freundlich und hilfsbereit sein und ihr Leben selbst gestalten können. Ob mehr Online oder im Klassenverband mit Anwesenheitspflicht gelernt wird, ist zweitrangig weil zeitbezogen, wie Helmut Schmidt diesen Gedanken abschliessen würde, sowas hat ihn nicht wirklich interessiert. Lernende brauchen Vorbilder. Wenn die jedoch versagen, dann sieht es eher finster aus.
Folglich sind heute neben der fachlichen Kompetenz Beziehungsarbeit und ein sehr hohes Mass an Selbstreflexion sowie klare und regelmaessige etablierte Feedbackverfahren, die sich immer optimieren lassen, von besonderer Bedeutung.
Schule kann ohne Noten oder Zensuren leben, auch in bestimmten Phasen des Lernens, eine Bewertung von Leistungen wird jedoch immer stattfinden. Auch Lehrerleistungen lassen sich beschreiben. Und wenn Lernende ihre Lehrkraefte bewerten duerfen, kann sich daraus eine konstruktive und freundliche Arbeitsbeziehung entwickeln.
An die geneigten Leser / – innen, statt Vorwort:
The Remains of The Day oder: Spuren im Sand …
Lange habe ich ueberlegt, ob es diese Seite im Netz geben soll. Immerhin mache ich damit oeffentlich, was ich als Lehrer in Gymnasien erlebt oder besser: Was ich wann und wo und in bestimmten Kontexten gedacht / reflektiert habe. In einzelnen Faellen auch, wie ich gehandelt habe – ob immer richtig oder angemessen, mag die lesende Person fuer sich selbst entscheiden.
(Ich verwende weibliche und maennliche Formen ganz neutral – unvoreingenommen – und nicht synonym).
Was mich bestaerkt:
Ich habe dank Facebook und E-mail immer noch Kontakt zu vielen Schuelern / – innen und habe viele Namen und Gesichter sehr genau vor Augen. Klar, nicht an alle von euch kann ich mich gut erinnern, aber ich habe immer wieder im Schulalltag die Idee und Vorstellung und auch den Anspruch gehabt, dass mir wichtig ist, dass aus euch anstaendige und erfolgreiche Menschen werden, die ihren Alltag meistern, so wie ich selbst das versucht habe.
Ja, anstaendige und gute Menschen. Das schreibe ich, obwohl der Begriff GUTMENSCH in Deutschland mittlerweile zum Schimpfwort geworden ist … ja, zum UNWORT.
Aber ein GUTMENSCH ist eben kein guter Mensch, sondern einer, der anderen gern vorschreiben will, was sie zu denken haben … und genau darum geht es immer wieder im Schulalltag: Nichts vorschreiben, sondern nachdenken und selbst denken lernen …Dabei auch Fehler machen, no problem at all!
Auch wenn heute Lehrerinnen und Lehrer aus Deutschland durchaus unbeanstandet im Netz / ueber Blogs und Social Media / ihre Ansichten, Eindruecke und sogar Befindlichkeiten heute zum Ausdruck bringen – mit aller Selbstverstaendlichkeit – so soll meine Seite hier mehr aus der Nachschau des ehemaligen Schulmeisters und folglich eher selektiv und reflexiv gestaltet werden.
Ich wuensche viel Freude beim Lesen und hoffe doch, dass mich via Facebook hier an der Gold Coast in Australien der eine oder andere Kommentar erreichen wird. Gern werde ich ggf. nachfragen, ob der auf diesem BLOG oeffentlich gemacht werden soll, natuerlich immer euer Einverstaendnis vorausgesetzt.
Aus Burleigh in Queensland mit besten Gruessen
Yours
Peter H Bloecker
StD im Ruhestand
(last update April 2020)
Meine Hauptseite Facebook
Teil 2
Lehrerleben – MEIN ZWEITES LEBEN
- Meine ersten Jahre als Lehrer in Scharnebeck bei Lueneburg / Aug 1979 bis Dec 1987
Auf meine ersten Lehrerjahre im damaligen Gymnasium Scharnebeck blicke ich gern zurueck, obwohl besonders das erste Schuljahr besonders anstrengend war. Fachlich war ich sicher gut vorbereitet, jedoch vom Schulalltag hatte ich absolut keine Ahnung! Gern war ich in meinen Klassen, besonders in meiner “eigenen Siebten”, durfte ich dort doch viel Zeit verbringen mit meinen beiden Faechern Deutsch und Englisch. Und die aelteren Schuelerinnen und Schueler mochte ich auch, meine DREI Zehnten, fuer mich fast SENIOREN unter den Schuelern, mehr als 90 an der Zahl! In den Kursen der Jahrgaenge 11 und 12 durfte ich vorerst noch nicht unterrichten, ich muesse mich erst bewaehren, so der damalige Chef Horst H, der mich nach einem ersten Besuch an seiner Schule quasi angeworben hatte und mit dem ich mich gut verstand. Gern liess ich mich auch an die Orientierungsstufe abordnen, um die KLEINEN in Deutsch und Englisch zu unterrichten, lag doch die Nachbarschule nebenan, Autofahrten zum Unterricht wie eine Abordnung in den Nachbarort Adendorf waren also nicht notwendig, was fuer mich wichtig war: Ich wollte ungern zwischen zwei Schulorten in den kurzen Pausen pendeln, empfand das sogar als Zumutung: Ich brauchte meine Pausen, um Kontakt mit meinen Kolleginnen und Kollegen zu pflegen.
Ich war sozusagen im Schuldienst angekommen und hatte die hohen Huerden des Studiums und der Examina gemeistert und fuehlte mich gut: Das eher junge Kollegium war aufgeschlossen, und ich fand fast alle nett und zugaenglich, jede Person auf seine Weise. Bewusst hatte ich ein eher traditionelles Gymnasium in Schleswig – Holstein als Arbeitsplatz abgewaehlt, und auch eine renommierte Schule in Lueneburg war fuer mich nicht so attraktiv wie fuer andere: In Scharnebeck hatte es noch kein Abitur gegeben, und auch die Haupt- und Realschule mit eigenstaendiger Orientierungsstufe waren im gleichen Komplex – genannt Schulzentrum – untergebracht. Nach vielen Jahren in Berlin war ich wieder fast auf dem Lande, unweit von Lueneburg und Hamburg: Mir war klar, dass ich viele Fahrschueler aus den umliegenden Gemeinden unterrichten wuerde, und genau damit kannte ich mich aus! War ich doch selbst nach 4 Jahren Grundschule in Huje 1960 ins Jungengymnasium in Itzehoe (Kaiser – Karl – Schule) eingeschult worden, ein wesentlicher Schritt ins richtige Leben, taeglich vom kleinen Dorf aus in die “grosse Stadt” – etwa 12 km entfernt. Im Winter per Bus um 07:10 Uhr und im Sommerhalbjahr per Fahrrad durch die Feldmark, durch wogende Kornfelder, Kartoffelfelder, Wald und Wiesen. (…)
- Sechs Jahre an der DHPS in Windhoek / Namibia / Jan 1988 bis Dec 1993
Mein Motto war damals, nachdem ich die Namib per Landrover erlebt hatte mit meiner Familie und meinen Freunden, “Spuren im Sand hinterlassen …”
Ob mir das gelungen ist, will ich hier nicht beantworten, das sollen andere tun, indem sie die Jahre mit mir als Lehrer revue passieren lassen, wie ich das mit meinen Lehrern an der Humboldt – Schule (Kiel) tue: Welchen Anspruch an Schule hatten sie, und haben sie den m.E. auch in der Regel erfuellen koennen?
Mir war ausser den normalen Unterrichtsverpflichtungen wichtig, ueber meine Klassen hinaus auf die Schule einzuwirken: Wie geht man mit Schuelern und Schuelerinnen um? Wie nimmt man sie als Persoenlichkeiten wahr? Wie kann man sie ueber den Unterricht hinaus foerdern?
Folglich nahm ich mir zwei wesentliche Projekte fuer meine erste Auslandstaetigkleit vor:
- Meine Theaterbegeisterung und – erfahrungen in die Schule einbringen
- Mit Kollegen zusammen ein Schulprogramm formulieren, das der Schule ein neues Gesicht fuer die Zukunft und die ersten Jahre der Unabhaengigkeit Namibias von Suedafrika geben wuerde.
Beide Projekte habe ich ueber Jahre und mit sehr viel Zeitaufwand verfolgt. Mehr dazu an dieser Stelle spaeter.
> Ein Interview mit Manuel Strack, Kapstadt, im April 2018 – ehemals mein Schueler an der DHPS bis zum deutschen Abitur.
Warum hast du an der Drama AG teilgenommen und wie bist du zum Theaterspiel gekommen?
Daran kann ich mich nicht mehr genau erinnern. Vielleicht klang das Konzept „Theater AG“ einfach spannender als all die anderen AGs, die derzeit angeboten wurden. Ich interessierte mich schon immer für Filme, zum Theater hatte ich damals jedoch gar keinen Bezug.
Warum bist du dabei geblieben?
Insgesamt habe ich über die Jahre in drei Stücken mitgespielt. Es bereitete mir Spaß: In eine Rolle zu schlüpfen und mal jemand anderes zu sein; es war eine neue Erfahrung, die mich faszinierte. Das Gefühl, auf einer Bühne zu stehen, die ungeteilte Aufmerksamkeit von mehreren hundert Mitschülern, Lehren und Eltern zu genießen, das war immer ein besonderer Kick. Ich erinnere mich, dass, wenn wir ein Stück zum letzten Mal aufführten und der Applaus verklang, ich am liebsten sofort am nächsten Tag mit den Proben eines neuen Stückes begonnen hätte.
Und was hat es dir gebracht?
Bevor ich Theater spielte, war ich nervös, wenn ich vor vielen Leuten sprechen musste. Durch meine Theatererfahrung verlor ich diese Scheu komplett. Auch wenn ich nie Schauspieler wurde, hat meine berufliche Laufbahn davon profitiert. Immer wieder stehe ich in meinem Beruf sozusagen auf der „Bühne“. Ich leitete als Trainer und Berater unzählige Workshops, moderierte Sitzungen, hielt Vorträge und als Lehrbeauftragter gab ich über mehrere Jahre Vorlesungen an einer Fachhochschule. Auf einem Gewerkschaftskongress wurde ich einmal als Gastredner engagiert und sprach vor über zweitausend Leuten. Von Kollegen bekam ich oft mit, dass sie vor solchen Situation nervös waren. Ich selber dagegen bin immer entspannt, wenn ich vor Gruppen spreche.
Hast du nach der Schule noch Theater gespielt als Schauspieler?
Nein, leider nicht. Ich habe aber mal eine Fortbildung “Improvisationstheater” besucht, um meine beraterischen und rhetorischen Fähigkeiten zu erweitern.
Hast du noch Kontakt zu anderen, die an der AG teilgenommen haben?
Ein Teilnehmer und ich haben immer wieder mal Kontakt (Robert), und wir waren sogar über mehrere Jahre Kollegen bei der GIZ (Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit), wurden allerdings an zwei unterschiedlichen Standorten eingesetzt. Im letzten Jahr habe ich mich mit einer Theater AG Schülerin (Anita) getroffen, nachdem wir uns 18 Jahre nicht mehr gesehen haben. Wir hatten uns so viel zu erzählen, dass wir uns zwei Wochen später gleich noch einmal verabredet haben. Ohne direkten Kontakt zu haben, bekomme ich zumindest über Facebook hin und wieder mit, was einige meiner Theater AG Mitschüler und –Schülerinnen zur Zeit so machen.
Bist du noch im Kontakt mit dem damaligen Leiter der AG / Lehrer Peter Bloecker?
Auf Facebook lese ich stets gerne, was er so macht und schätze seine schönen Fotos. Alle paar Jahre tauschen wir uns immer wieder mal schriftlich aus, allerdings habe ich ihn seit seinem Weggang aus Windhoek nicht mehr getroffen. Das Schauspielern hat bestimmt meine kreative Seite gestärkt. Eine meiner beruflichen Stärken liegt darin, dass ich gut „Out of the Box“ denken und innovative Ansätze und Lösungen entwickeln kann. In unplanmäßig Situation kann ich improvisieren. Ein kreatives Hobby habe ich vor Jahren begonnen, was ich aber aus Zeitmangel leider habe einschlafen lassen. Vor ein paar Wochen habe ich es endlich wieder aufgenommen. Ich arbeite derzeit an einem Roman. Mal sehen, was daraus wird, auf jeden Fall schreibe ich gern, wenn ich die Zeit dazu finde.
PROFIL: Hier geht es zum Link Konstruktion einer Liebe
Manuel Strack, geb. 1972, war in den Jahren 1991 bis 1993 Mitglied der Theater – AG der DHPS und spielte zuletzt einen der drei Physiker (Newton) von Dürrenmatt. Er wohnt in Kapstadt und arbeitet seit etwa zehn Jahren in der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Facebook neues Profil: Manuel Strack – AUTOR
LINK zur GIZ RSA
> Second interview (April 2018) with Walther Jochen – now Teacher in Frankfurt / Germany / another ex student of the DHPS Windhoek, Namibia.
Visit the Facebook profiles Lidou and Project3.
You come from a farm near Okahandja, Namibia – let us know what going to school in WHK at the DHPS meant for you, being far from home over the week.
Actually, we saw home more seldom than your question proposes. During elementary school in Okahandja (Grades 1 to 4) we were far from home over the week. Our mother or father came to pick us up on Friday afternoons and returned us to the Zogeiser (pronounced Zog-Eiser) hostel late Sunday afternoons. So the transition from living at home to living at DHPS was relatively smooth.
I loved the hostel outside Okahandja. It was an old building with many rooms, surrounded by several huge eucalyptus trees. These had been imported early in the 20th century to drain swampy areas in the Swakop River and have continued their subterranean struggle for water ever since; I remember that my father brought his employees one day to remove the trees’ roots from a pipe connecting some toilets to one of the cesspits – the roots had forced their way into the pipe and blocked it. We played outside a lot – cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, hide and seek. And there were several loaded book cases which Mrs Lau, the old matron, sometimes thought it necessary to drive me away from. I loved school because it taught me how to read, and I have been an avid reader from day one. Fairy tales, Pinocchio, the classics by Waldemar Bonsels, Felix Salten and Johanna Spyri, Max Kruse, Michael Ende’s Jim Knopf novels.
Mrs Lau was thoroughly Christian. We had to pray before every meal and before going to bed.
On Wednesdays we were taken to a nice family who lived across the road (which was far enough to have to use the Beetle, which was big enough to carry the 5 or 6 of us) to watch the children’s programme on TV (half an hour). My parents didn’t have a TV set, so that was my exposure to the newer media until the age of ten.
In Windhoek we had so-called long weekends twice per quarter – if I remember correctly -, so we only ever saw our parents on these occasions and, of course, during vacation. I felt very homesick in Grade 5. In the years to come we got used to being among other youths from all over the country instead of hiding away in the cradle of our early childhood. Living in a hostel had its advantages: lots of company, and a variety of educational input that parents living in the splendid isolation of the farm simply could not provide, i.e. how to live with and “survive” among one’s peers. My fellow students were great athletes and soccer players in the first line. I had absolutely nothing to contribute in this respect; my love for books (which made me a loner to some extent) continued to grow, and a fondness for good movies developed, both of which still drive me today.
All in all, we had to learn at an early age that circumstances change and time marches on. All that is left in the mostly untimely end are memories, and when we go some of their gist may remain while the details tend to leave with us. For me, this was hard to accept at first, but in the end a certain stoicism evolved that helps me to take what comes and shape it into what I need it to be without it becoming my exclusive object (I accept the reciprocity of action, and try to keep an open mind).
There were local teachers and changing teachers, sent from Germany – anything special you remember with these two groups: did you notice some relevant differences?
There were very nice individuals among both groups and some others about whom I do not speak. The local teachers were for the most part more interested in culture than the average “Südwester”, i.e. they also broadened our civilizatory horizon, but with many German teachers one could tell the superior school and university education. They were better at explaining things, for example the conundrum of how to interpret a literary text. A certain sense of community and identity at school was palpable among the teachers that is not present at the schools that I have got to know here. In Windhoek, teachers put in a lot of time at afternoon school activities so that we had semiprofessional drama performances and musical performances that made the news. And our athletics teams were among the best of the country. This was not achieved by just putting in the nominal working hours; teachers such as you or Mrs Dedekind went out of your way to make such events happen. We admired and appreciated that. – On a more discordant note, I admittedly over-identified with the old “Südwest”, an ultimately horrid concept which most German teachers saw far more clearly than I did, which resulted in some antagonizing on my part. There is, of course, no question that it was highly necessary for you to be there and show us – me – reason.
You decided to study in Marburg in Germany – can you explain why not Stellenbosch or Capetown or WHK?
I have family in Marburg who were so nice as to invite me to stay with them for the duration of my studies. That meant a considerable pecuniar relief for my father; education was an expensive convenience in South Africa then. And – where better to study German philology than in the country of its origin? (My father’s reasoning …) I know I am extremely lucky to have been provided with this opportunity. Talking about broadening one’s horizon … Incidentally, there is a connection between our visit in Grade 11 to the UCT and my studies. My final exam paper dealt with the ambiguity of perception Kleist employs as a narrative basis in his story “Die Verlobung in St. Domingo”. The elementary essays instigating this line of interpretation were written by Hanna Arendt and Peter Horn – the professor who lectured us on linguistics when we took the tour of the UCT. So, in a way, I came to a full circle bridging my Here and There.
How did the idea to become a teacher originate?
My first teacher at elementary school was, apart from my mother, the kindest adult around ever; she taught us without ever having to raise her voice (or, which was still common practice then, her hand, her fist or a big stick) – she was well-liked by all her students, and I immediately thrived under her friendly guidance. I wanted to become such a person.
And why work in Germany instead of your home country Namibia?
I like it here in Germany a lot. There are more people around who share the same interests as I do; as a reader and as a musician I cannot imagine to return. I used to miss my parents’ farm at the beginning, but have come to believe that all along, my home has been a space of my mind ever since the time I learned to speak and started to have conscious memories.
The school I work at underwent a fundamental change a decade ago, similar in scope to what happened at DHPS with the programme that introduced black students from non-German households: it switched from Kooperative Gesamtschule to Integrierte Gesamtschule, the latter with a much fairer approach (based on an individualizing balance between support and compensation on the one hand and challenges for the students on the other) towards students from non-academical and or migrant backgrounds with the goal to enable them to make the most out of their school career. I was sceptical at first, because I was not particularly impressed by the appearance of the first two generations, but when my time came to become the tutor of my first “integrated” class, I decided to go all the way and make it my way, with considerable encouragement and cooperation by the other tutors of our year. We redefined ourselves as a school, and I have fully perceived myself as a teacher only since that time. Working with three to five different levels of learning in one class room is taxing (loads and loads of corrections), but – firstly, it works, and, secondly, many more students appreciate what we have to offer than they did before we switched. I am a part of that, and want to stay with it.
One more reason why I stay here: my skin doesn’t take well to the subtropical sun.
Describe in some sentences your choice of subjects and what you would advise students who want to become teachers themselves.
My subjects are German, English and Ethics.
The latter discipline has received more attention of late as an awareness is growing as to where man has chosen wrong paths; if humanity wants to ensure a sustainable existence for itself, it will have to abandon its hitherto utilitarian approach and implement anti-egotistical guide-lines for all future decisions that are based on reason and compassion. That is what ethics comprises ultimately.
As for my language subjects: communication, understanding one’s fellows and expressing oneself have always been important; if you are disposed to experience the joy of reading, you will not likely exchange it for anything else; I have many students whose parents or grandparents immigrated from the Mediterranean or Eastern European countries – they have a lot of German and English to catch up on, and fortunately, they understand that necessity. Comprehending grammar and learning vocabulary (WORTSCHATZ) are important steps, but my favourite discipline is teaching literature – in both languages.
My advice for students who intend to become language teachers:
– Be aware that you will sit at your desks correcting roughly twice the time that you spend in class.
– Be prepared to meet resistance the first time you propose to read a book in class. It is up to your teaching efforts to decimate this response to future reading endeavours.
– A very basic, yet underestimated teaching skill is empathy. Without it, you are no teacher, just an instructor.
– Teachers should care in a very broad sense – it will reflect on your students and make circumstances bearable in times of stress.
– Be authentic. If you don’t like reading, don’t choose a subject that involves teaching literature; your students will pick up on your reluctance. Choose subjects that you can relate to.
You are a dedicated musician – song writer and guitarist – and you perform publicly: please explain what music means for you.
I would refer to myself as a song arranger rather than a song writer. The latter happens roughly once a decade. – My mother’s side of the family is musical, which both my brother Heinrich and I have inherited. It is partly a desire to let something out that cannot be expressed differently, the pleasure of creating and the joy of succeeding at this; nothing soothes or excites the expressive self like a polyphonic harmony; and playing rock and roll entails an immediate viscereal holistic satisfaction that has no equivalent. Playing for participative and or appreciative audiences is particularly satisfying because I know the joy I get out of listening to music. There is also a sort of personal victory involved in honing the motoric skills required to play the guitar – I used to be a complete butterfingers. – Music helps me to live a balanced life. It is, at this time in my life, the most meaningful activity I engage in with friends. I would probably feel less joy working at school without it. Had there been no music, perhaps I would have taken to creative writing or drawing instead to give my imagination an outlet …
Would you describe the differences living in Namibia and Germany?
Namibia has its outdoors and vast spaces and as such is probably more attractive as a tourist country than densely populated Germany with its many urban areas. Namibia is a nice place to live in if you are lucky enough to hail from a privileged background; for most of its residents I would say life poses a daily challenge to survive.
I cannot speak for Germany in general, only for Frankfurt and Marburg. The latter I have experienced as a student and absolutely loved it: So green in the summer, sufficient leisure time (we had no bachelor business, thank goodness; I pity the German students of today from the bottom of my heart), the picturesque scenery with the castle and the old half-timber houses, finding new friends (music and a taste for good books as common denominators helped to forge these relationships), learning, both at university and from life; travelling through Germany by train in the semester breaks.
Frankfurt is less inviting, but it has very nice quarters, too; finding an affordable flat is sheer luck (I was lucky). Libraries, bookshops, record stores everywhere, such luxury, and public transport wherever and whenever needed. I don’t own a car. For a few months now, a part of my wages has been a Landes-Ticket which I can use anywhere in Hesse to ride trains or public busses (before that, I had to pay for an annual ticket only fully valid in Frankfurt). All shopping facilities are within 10 minutes of walking distance. I work long hours, but there is still ample time for leisure because of the good infrastructure. And I work with people whom I can fully relate to.
From outside Europe it looks like there are many problems at present in Germany and Europe: Are these problems real or media produced, and do they reflect in the context of school? Are there any special challenges for students and teachers at present? Do you see possible solutions?
I will try to answer these questions in one. Anyone who leaves our school with reasonable language and maths skills has a good chance at building a good life, as far as I can tell from what former students tell me when they revisit their old school and teachers. I have repeatedly been told that their preparation for their future tasks by us was apt, and that the hard work I put them through is appreciated – in the end.
Personally I think PISA and Bologna have led to mixed results; on the one hand, learning is supposed to be a process to be learned in its own right; on the other hand, the curricula are crammed beyond the humanly imaginable – so much of it boils down to “Bulimielernen” (cramming the brain with information only to spew it forth on exam day; i.e. students are forced to acquire unsustainable, useless knowledge – especially during the bachelor years of their university studies – a term coined bei Reinhard Kahl). Still, an awareness of what school could be has been re-awakened by the big educational studies, and some movement has ensued. Results will have to be seen.
All current issues (refugee crisis, newly emerging eastern European nationalism, generations of students leaving elementary school with progressively diminishing skill sets, just to pick out three) are of course real, but they are intensified by the generally peevish attitude with which certain parts of the public respond to them, and the media are involved, either by fuelling prejudices or by presenting sloppy research and being found out. However, I came across a graffiti in Höchst: “Die AFD ist immer noch HARAM.” (… is taboo) The gist of this sentiment is shared by 99% of the students I know. They are smarter than many adults in this respect. And at least my students (roughly half of their families hailing from as far as Pakistan and Eritrea, Angola, Israel, former Yugoslavia, Turkey, northern Africa, China, Vietnam, Lithuania and Russia, and the other half are from Germany more long-term) value their education, have an elaborate sense of self, and they get along with each other fine. So I guess there is hope if and when they decide to become involved.
Being a German citizen with a Namibian background: Any identity thoughts or better reflexions WHO AM I AND IF SO, HOW MANY according to Richard David PRECHT?
I think the basically quite benign, eager-to-learn six-year-old who was ejected into the world by the circumstance of a remote home around 1980 still tries to assert himself. Nationality has never played a crucial role for my identity. It was a mask when it came up, with the futile purpose to stop a necessary and already irrevocable change. I have discarded it. It is not relevant for me anymore. – I am a bookish person; we thrive better in Germany. – A few words on PRECHT: he appears to be so sure of himself at media events, which tends to arouse my suspicion; all I got from his book was “instant” philosophy (like instant coffee). I prefer Kant or Nietzsche.
Finally – What would you like to tell people from your past school years and people who you have lost contact with?
I am always glad to hear from or read (hopefully good) news about former schoolmates. I readily acknowledge that Facebook (which I have an otherwise ambivalent relation to) has been very helpful at re-establishing some very dear ties from earlier days. As far as I can tell many people from yore have done very well for themselves, managed to have families of their own, and some are even engaged in projects that will ultimately help to improve life for many. I am happy for all of you who have come so far and hope you may continue for as long as you wish.
A last sentence from a teacher to his ex – teachers …
I am grateful for what you have given us. Being in the profession myself now, I can draw on a lot of good teachers’ examples from my own time as a student, especially when it comes to lending support to those who ask. The regrettable occasional cautionary tale also benefits my practice by negative example, so there has been an ultimate purpose for these, too.
> APPRECIATION:
A big thank you to Manuel (Cape Town) and Walther (Frankfurt), die stellvertretend fuer alle anderen meiner ehemaligen DHPS – Schueler und Schuelerinnen (zwischen 1988 und 1993) hier zu Wort kommen:
Ohne lange zu fackeln waren sie sofort bereit, meine Fragen zu beantworten und gaben ihr Einverstaendnis, in diesem BLOG auch namentlich genannt zu werden.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
- Sechs Monate Freistellung und Reise nach Neuseeland und in die USA mit meiner damaligen Ehefrau Marianne und unseren beiden Kindern.
- Wieder in Niedersachen am FRG in DAN / Aug 1994 bis Jul 1998.
- Als Fachberater der ZfA Koeln und des Goethe – Instituts in Brisbane, Queensland / Aug 1998 bis Jul 2005.
- Als Lehrer und Koordinator der Gymnasialen Oberstufe zurueck in Dannenberg an der Elbe am FRG / Aug 2005 bis Jul 2012.
- Freistellung durch ATZ ab August 2012 und Neustart mit meiner zweiten Ehefrau Maria Francioli, die auch 1998 an die Gold Coast kam und mit mir zusammen nach Dannenberg ausreiste. Wir haben mittlerweile drei ihrer vier Toechter – alle wie Maria in Rio / Brasilien geboren – ganz in der Naehe bei uns wohnen, mit Partnern und ihren Kindern sind wir in Australien an der Gold Coast folglich eine grosse globale GERMAN – AUSTRALIAN – BRAZILIAN – SOUTH AFRICAN FAMILY mit 5 Enkelkindern hier bei uns, 3 Enkeln in Rio mit Marias dritter Tochter und Konstantin in Deutschland.
- Hier ein Filmbeitrag aus Brasilien, in dem Eliza Ximenes – Tochter meiner Frau Maria – und ihre Freunde ihr Eco Village unweit von Rio vorstellen – sie traegt einen gruenen Pullover in diesem Youtube Beitrag und leitet die Yoga Gruppe.
Teil 3
Lehrerleben – MEIN DRITTES LEBEN SEIT AUGUST 2012
Langer Rede kurzer Sinn – Bilder sagen mehr als viele Worte – begleite mich auf einem kurzen Ausflug nach COOLIE … so sagt man hier, und meint Coolangatta, eine kleine Stadt an der Grenze zwischen Queensland (QLD) und New South Wales (NSW). Auch bekannt durch einen kleineren Flughafen (Gold Coast), der nach einer Erweiterung nicht nur Inlandsfluege in Australien, sondern auch Fluege nach Asien anbietet. Ich bin bereits ueber China (China Southern AL) und ueber Kuala Lumpur nach Duesseldorf geflogen, ohne den International Airport in Brisbane zu nutzen. Den erreiche ich aber auch bequem per Bus und Zug, ohne ein Taxi zu bestellen.
Ich verbringe grundsaetzlich seit 2013 bis zu zehn Wochen in Deutschland, um meine Familie im Hohen Norden und in Aachen zu besuchen und meine Freunde in Deutschland zu treffen.
Einen Einblick in unser Leben in Burleigh Waters in Queensland und meine Besuche in Deutschland bekommst du ueber meinen BLOG My Third Life.
Hier geht es wieder zur Hauptseite meines BLOGS (Education and Life Skills and More)
Day trip to Coolie in QLD in July 2017 from Peter H Bloecker on Vimeo.
Und zum Schluss: Teil 1
Lehrerleben – MEIN ERSTES LEBEN
Wie ich wurde, wer ich bin … phb
Geboren mitten in Schleswig-Holstein, dem Bundesland mit Horizonten, erblickte ich am 28. August 1949 das Licht der Welt.
Ich ging 4 Jahre lang in HUJE zur Schule, wo ich lesen, schreiben und rechnen lernte.
Alleiniger Lehrer für 9 Schuljahrgänge dort war mein Vater.
Die ersten Jahre auf einem Gymnasium in Itzehoe (Kaiser-Karl-Schule) waren für mich auf- und anregend und einfach nur spannend und sehr bereichernd.
Später in Kiel machte ich mein Abitur an der Humboldt – Schule (1968) und beschloss, Lehrer zu werden. Studium in Kiel und Berlin (FU) und erster Auslandsaufenthalt in England (Shrewsbury) bestätigten meine Pläne.
Nach Gründung einer Familie ging ich mit meiner damaligen Frau zunächst nach Scharnebeck bei Lüneburg, anschließend nach Windhuk, Namibia.
Nach 6 Jahren und 4 weiteren Jahren in Dannenberg bewarb ich mich als Fachberater des Goethe – Instituts in Brisbane, Australien, wo ich über 7 Jahre den Bereich “Deutsch als Fremdsprache” (DaF) im Department of Education betreute. Seit 1980 zahlreiche Fortbildungen und Ausbildung als Beratungslehrer und COACH. Von 2005 bis Mitte 2012 lebte und arbeitete ich in Dannenberg / Elbe als Koordinator der Oberstufe des Fritz-Reuter-Gymnasiums.
Ich habe im Juli 2012 den aktiven Schuldienst verlassen (ATZ) und wohne bei Lueneburg und an der Gold Coast in Queensland, Australien.
Selbstinterview und Tabuthema
The Remains of the Day – When push comes to shove, it is all about dignity …
Last not least the Deep River Blues / Cover by Walther Jochen
- Engagement: Foster active student engagement by incorporating interactive and immersive learning experiences facilitated by AI and technology tools.
- Personalization: Utilize AI and adaptive learning technologies to personalize instruction, catering to individual student needs, interests, and learning styles.
- Collaboration: Promote collaborative learning by integrating AI-supported platforms that facilitate communication, teamwork, and peer-to-peer interactions among students.
- Critical Thinking: Encourage the development of critical thinking skills by using AI-powered tools that provide data analysis, problem-solving simulations, and opportunities for hypothesis testing.
- Creativity: Leverage AI and digital tools to inspire creativity in students, enabling them to explore new ideas, create multimedia content, and engage in project-based learning activities.
- Continuous Assessment: Implement AI-based assessment tools to gather real-time data on student performance, allowing for timely feedback and personalized interventions.
- Multimodal Learning: Embrace multimodal learning experiences that integrate various forms of media, such as videos, simulations, virtual reality, and AI-driven interactive content.
- Digital Literacy: Equip students with digital literacy skills, teaching them to critically evaluate information, navigate online platforms safely, and make ethical choices in a digital world.
- Adaptability: Foster adaptability in both students and educators, encouraging them to embrace emerging technologies, learn new tools, and stay updated with advancements in AI and AGI.
- Ethics and Responsible Use: Promote discussions and awareness around the ethical implications of AI and technology, encouraging students to be responsible digital citizens and consider the broader societal impacts of these advancements.
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Peter H Bloecker | Born in Holstein | True North Of Germany
17 May 2024
1
Born in the shadow of a world recovering from the ravages of war, in a very small village near Itzehoe, Holstein, my story begins in 1949. As the firstborn son of a dedicated school teacher, my early years were steeped in the rich tapestry of post-war Germany’s rebuilding era. The village, a cradle of tradition and simplicity, was a place where community ties were very strong, and the landscape was a constant reminder of the enduring spirit of the country named Geest from the Ice that had melted away.
My father, the first born son of a farme had become a beacon of knowledge and guidance, and with nothing around except country and people, he instilled in me the values of education and the importance of contributing to the betterment of society. His lessons were not confined to the four walls of a classroom, but were imparted through the daily rhythms of village life. He taught me to read not just from books, but from the stories etched in the faces of the villagers, many of them a living testament to resilience and hope.
And the WW2 German refugees had come from East Prussia and Prussia (now Poland), and happy this brutal war was over, had to start a completely new life in an area totally unknown to them.
The Holstein countryside, with its rolling fields and whispering winds, was my playground. Here, amidst the echoes of history and the promise of a new dawn, I learned to walk, to wonder, and to dream. The post-war era, though marked by many challenges, was also a canvas of opportunities, and my family’s unwavering support was the cornerstone upon which I built my aspirations. Family First and Education, these two domains should become the centre and focus of the way to go.
Not so much the lessons, but the secret curriculum of my own father teaching me and the village children for the next four years until 1960 became a compass that guided me through life’s journey, a journey that began in a small village more or less in the middle of Holstein between Denmark and Hamburg, North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
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2
In the heart of the village stood the schoolhouse, a symbol of communal learning and the dedication of my father, the sole educator for the entire spectrum of nine year levels, for me the first four school years.
His classroom was a microcosm of the village itself, where children of all ages gathered together, their minds melding in a symphony of shared knowledge under his careful orchestration.
Our home was an extension of the school, a place where the lines between personal and professional blurred, as my father’s vocation was his calling. The schoolhouse, with its sturdy walls and echoing hallways, was a witness to the laughter and tears of generations of villagers seeking enlightenment.
The farmers, with their earth-stained hands and weathered smiles, found a friend in my father. Their camaraderie transcended the usual teacher-student dynamic, blossoming into deep friendships. During the long winter months, when the fields lay dormant under a blanket of snow, these hardy souls would gather on Friday and Saturday nights. It was a ritual, a celebration of fellowship, where stories were shared, and bonds were forged in the warmth of our schoolhouse.
The men played cards and smoked and drank a lot, while the women grouped in another room sharing their own stories and lief experiences.
For us children, those nights meant independence, as we were left to our own devices. Our imaginations were our companions, and the schoolhouse became a castle of dreams where we were the rulers of our little kingdom. On the rare occasions when our aunts visited, the house was filled with a different kind of warmth, their presence a gentle reminder of the extended family we were part of.
This unique upbringing, nestled between the responsibilities of a teacher’s household and the freedom of a child’s imagination, shaped a resilient and self-reliant character. It was a childhood framed by the values of community, education, and the simple joys of rural life with its four seasons and the fields to roam whenever time allowed. For hours we walked in pairs or group of four to five children through the forests and fields, later cycling as well and our horizon went to 40 0r 50km one way far from our home and village. The summer nights were warm and sunny until 10pm, and we might come home late when already nearly dark, however two hours before midnight was our timeline.
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3
My father’s approach to teaching a wide range of ages in a single classroom was a testament to his ingenuity and dedication. He employed a multi-tiered teaching strategy, which allowed him to address the educational needs of each age group effectively.
Group Learning: He divided the students into groups based on their year levels. Each group received focused instruction tailored to their learning stage while the others engaged in self-study or group work.
Rotational Teaching: My father rotated between the groups, providing direct instruction in short, concentrated bursts. This ensured that every student received personal attention and guidance throughout the school day ending around 1pm. Afternoons were mostly free.
Peer Teaching: The older students were encouraged to assist the younger ones, fostering a sense of responsibility and reinforcing their own knowledge through teaching.
Project-Based Learning: He introduced hands-on projects that could be adapted for different age levels, allowing students to work together and learn from each other.
Independent Study: My father cultivated an environment of independent learning. He provided resources and assignments that students could work on at their own pace, promoting self-discipline and time management.
This multi-faceted approach not only facilitated effective learning, but also nurtured a community spirit among the students. They learned to collaborate, help each other, and develop respect for different abilities and knowledge levels. It was a harmonious blend of structured teaching and autonomous exploration that made the one-room schoolhouse a cradle of lifelong learning.
And being a warm hearted passionate teacher and person, my father was highly respected in the classroom and in this village of hard working people.
The next Boys High School in the small Holstein town of Itzehoe was about 12km away. Another High School for Girls was in the same town.
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4
Managing a classroom with such a diverse age range presented a unique set of challenges for my father. Here are some of the hurdles he encountered:
Diverse Educational Needs: Each age group had different educational requirements and learning paces, which necessitated individualized lesson plans and teaching methods.
Resource Allocation: With limited resources, ensuring that all students had access to appropriate materials and attention was a constant balancing act.
Classroom Management: Keeping a single classroom environment conducive to learning for all students, regardless of their age, required meticulous organization and discipline.
Engagement Levels: Maintaining the interest of a wide age range meant creating lessons that were universally engaging yet educationally relevant to each group.
Progress Assessment: Evaluating the progress of students across nine year levels posed logistical challenges, as it required a tailored approach to testing and grading.
Despite these challenges, my father’s commitment to his students and his innovative teaching methods allowed him to overcome these obstacles and provide a nurturing educational environment for all. His ability to adapt and his unwavering dedication to teaching left a lasting impact on the lives of many students and myself: Growing up in this school house in this family with my younger brother and later two sisters my pathway became evident when I had finished my High School Years in 1968: The University in Kiel, and the World of Knowledge and Learning was the only relevant option for me. I considered law and medicine for a few months when at the Army, where I spent two years of my life, but the discussions with my father, who encouraged me to become a High School Teacher, did the rest: I began my university years studying English and German Literature and later in Berlin I discovered American Studies and American Literature plus Chomsky and Linguistics heading towards the two State Exams, which I finished in May 1979.
In August 1979 my first position as a High School Teacher with English and German started.
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