FILMS

Following suggestions from some of the bloggers (thanks!), I would like to introduce another task:

The best film ever! Or top 10, as Karmen has done. Just think about all the many films you have seen and make a selection. Try to justify at least one of the choices, so that we know what is important for you in a movie. What makes it unique, worth coming back to, meaningful? You can place links to sites about those films, to make things easier for those who are not familiar with them. Perhaps you will make people so interested that they would like to see some of them?

I myself am not able to make any sort of ranking list. But after some thinking I can share a few titles with you. I do realize, though, that they are far away from your choices:

• Kieslowski's Red, Blue and The Double Life of Veronique - in this sequence
  There is something in these films that I cannot resist - I guess it is what we call the metaphysical. I like coming back to them. White does not work like this for me.
• Wajda's Korczak - Janusz Korczak is my guru
• Woody Allen's Zelig - playing with the very idea of moviemaking
• S. Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut - a bit weird, but irresistible - cast!
• R. Polanski's Rosemary's Baby - I have seen it once, will never see it again, but will never forget it, too. Filmed at Dakota Apartments in NY. A doomed place.
• N. Jewison's Fiddler on the Roof - every scene is a jewel
• M. Scorsese's The Age of Innocence - purely beautiful though very sad
• J. Campion's The Portrait of a Lady - I loved the book and the film did not disappoint me, which is rare (music by W. Kilar)
• R. Attenborough's Shadowlands - about C.S. Lewis
  J. Ivory's Howards End (both starring Anthony Hopkins, the acting genious)
  No, I haven't seen The Silence of the Lambs, and never will. I'm scared when I know it's on television, even if my TV set is off ;)

I don't include romantic comedies because they come and go, seldom making any stronger impression (though films like Notting Hill or Four Weddings and a Funeral are perhaps worth mentioning). A separate category for me is Jane Austen adaptations, which I can watch without end, the new Pride and Prejudice being at the top of the list ;)

Values

I don't believe in preaching - telling people what is right and what is wrong. It seldom works. You should teach values by living them. But sometimes things need to be made explicit.

So here you go - this is the way I try to live, although at times I fail:

For me the most important principle in life is: love your fellows -
I mean the sort of love which is included in the Christian tradition. And love does not always mean being nice. Often it requires being harsh and critical - ask your parents :) If you love someone, you want them to be good. What is more, it is easy to love those who love you, but to love those who hurt you or do not share your beliefs and ideals is a real challenge. I try to follow another Christian principle here: "hate the sin but love the sinner." From this core idea all others derive: tolerance - but not for those who do harm to others, respect for the individual (big or small), and, yes, forgiveness. I cannot live in conflict. Conflict kills me. It takes away all my power, all my ideas and motivation. So I do my best to forgive. But to forgive is not to forget. Not so easy.

Would you like to say in your blogs what you believe in?

Freedom of speech

A few days (or weeks?) ago I wrote a comment on somebody's blog about the growing amount of hatered in our public life. And that the situation will change for the better as soon as your generation takes over. Now I think this was too rosy a view.
As for freedom of speech - the principle in defence of which people spent years in prison - please do not confuse it with flaming. This is something I won't allow in my own blog. So I've decided to remove comments to my previous post. I was hoping people would do it themselves during the day, but nobody did. You may accuse me of censorship, but you have your own blogs to express your opinions.
What is more, I don't think I'm interested in comments for this post, so there will be none.

For those innocent readers who do not have a faintest idea what I'm talking about - my apologies. Believe me - you don't want to know.

Teaching practice

I know you are VERY busy these days, finishing your diploma projects and getting ready for final tests and exams. That is why I've been hesitating about a new blog task, but for those of you who can still find a little time here it is:

Most of you have already finished your teaching practice or are just at the end of it. It would be very interesting to read your impressions: what you had expected and feared, what you found out about teaching, about Polish schools, and... about yourselves. Has the experience changed your attitude to YOUR becoming a teacher? Which school level suits you best? Where would you feel least comfortable?
To encourage you, I'll write a few words about my own teaching practice from many years ago. The very fact that I remember anything of it speaks for itself.

• I took my TP in LO II - where else?? The teacher who supervised me was the one who taught me there as well. I came there just to do my duty - I had never thought of myself as a teacher. My mentor, though, took things very seriously: at the observation stage he explained why he did sth, how he approached problems that appeared etc. (We did not have anyone to visit our lessons from IFA.)
  Then the day came when I was to stand in front of the class of matura candidates and teach them. Gosh, how nervous I was! They were pretty advanced, (an intensive program) and I thought they could ask me awkward questions or play tricks. But they were really friendly and everything went more or less OK - not that my supervisor did not tell me what to change or improve. I still remember a lot of his advice and follow it on day-to-day basis.
  After a few weeks my teaching practice was over and my teacher said I HAD TO come to teach in our school after I graduated! Things turned out a bit different, but I was very proud! It was then that I started thinking of teaching as my future job. Actually, I realized that I liked it. And so... here I am.

The day after

That was quite an experience - I only wish EVERYBODY had been there. Agnieszka's speech was absolutely fantastic - we could all feel she meant every single word of it. Yes, I think 2006 graduates will be remembered in a special way. Creative, open-minded, friendly people and loyal friends. Your mutual relations is what I envy you most. Most of my fellow students were so uninteresting... The only friend I had at the time left Poland for the US right after graduation, so we see each other rarely. My real good time was high school - II LO in Poznań. I still love it, and keep in touch with most of my classmates.

Anyway, great event! In case you don't know, there is
a photo coverage of it on Marta F.'s blog (BIG THANKS to Marta and her "other half") - don't miss it!

AgatkaP

You can see my picture here. I must have been five or six at the time. The picture was taken by my Dad, who was, and still is, my real pal. I guess you can see that from the way I'm looking at him here.

Childhood

While you're still at home you can start working on the next blog assignment: in your family archives please find a photograph of yourself when you were a child. Not a baby, but a young person developing some sort of personality. The task was inspired by Marta F., who posted a fantastic picure of herself on her blog. :)

She also offered help to those who have problems scanning. (Thanks!) Remember, too, that some copy shops and internet cafes offer that sort of service. I can also make a few scans, if you have no other way.

Apart from posting the picture, please make a short comment on it or your childhood in general.