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29.12.2006

EXAMINATIONS

Most school-books, e.g. in psychology, peda-gogy or didactics (the art of teaching) were big books in foreign languages;

either in English or Danish.

I didn´t have much trouble when reading the former, because I used to watch the American television that was transmitted on the NATO naval base in Keflavik in the sixties, which Icelanders in the vicinity were able to watch.

But the other language wasn't as easy.

Despite having finished all examinations in our cousins' language with honours in junior-college I've never bothered reading anything more than what was obligated.

That's why I rarely opened the Danish books, but instead I tried to write glosses in the lessons.

When I illutioned how easy my studies could be if I would take up these glossary customs I started to gloss in all lessons.

I seldom opened a book other than novel or fiction in English or Icelandic.

There´s nothing to it, I was used to state, I know it all, whenever my loving fianceé asked me why I didn't ever open the school books!

This way of thinking did really put me in quite a dilemma when I got my grades after the first examinations!

On the first semester there were nine subjects of learning, only seven of them were put under a test, but the marks in the other two were decided by the attendance in the lessons.

In my own opinion I acquitted myself quite well;

attended each lesson and was always blathering and interrupting the teachers with some clever remarks, but something else became visible to my astonishment and disappointment.

I just got the minimum mark in the two subjects mentioned, but flunked in the rest, despite the fact that sincerily I'd expected to get a top grade each time I'd finished a test.

When I returned home after I'd finished each trial I declared to anyone who asked that I'd get the highest mark of ten, because I couldn't find any error when I went over the test in my mind.

For that reason it really came as a shock, when I finally saw the real marks!

They were all below the minimal of five, but worst of all was the phonology in which I thought I was like a real professional.

I'd fallen in love with one part of it called phonography or phonetic transcription and used to phonograph either in my mind or aloud almost anything people said either to me or not!

The mark O, zero glared awfully and my assurance was very low when I got these terrible news.

Every drill I'd made had been wrong, eventhough they'd sounded quite right in my own ears.

I understood frankly, that I had to reconsider all my learning, or un-learning and change my habits.

My reconsideration had the great effect, that I didn't flunk anymore in the College.

I accomplished the retake in the fall and received by the way a seven in phonology.

I flunked in one subject and unhappily the one that had the most value for my future as a

TEACHER!!!

EXAMINATIONS

EXAMINATIONS

Most school-books, e.g. in psychology, peda-gogy or didactics (the art of teaching) were big books in foreign languages;

either in English or Danish.

I didn´t have much trouble when reading the former, because I used to watch the American television that was transmitted on the NATO naval base in Keflavik in the sixties, which Icelanders in the vicinity were able to watch.

But the other language wasn't as easy.

Despite having finished all examinations in our cousins' language with honours in junior-college I've never bothered reading anything more than what was obligated.

That's why I rarely opened the Danish books, but instead I tried to write glosses in the lessons.

When I illutioned how easy my studies could be if I would take up these glossary customs I started to gloss in all lessons.

I seldom opened a book other than novel or fiction in English or Icelandic.

There´s nothing to it, I was used to state, I know it all, whenever my loving fianceé asked me why I didn't ever open the school books!

This way of thinking did really put me in quite a dilemma when I got my grades after the first examinations!

On the first semester there were nine subjects of learning, only seven of them were put under a test, but the marks in the other two were decided by the attendance in the lessons.

In my own opinion I acquitted myself quite well;

attended each lesson and was always blathering and interrupting the teachers with some clever remarks, but something else became visible to my astonishment and disappointment.

I just got the minimum mark in the two subjects mentioned, but flunked in the rest, despite the fact that sincerily I'd expected to get a top grade each time I'd finished a test.

When I returned home after I'd finished each trial I declared to anyone who asked that I'd get the highest mark of ten, because I couldn't find any error when I went over the test in my mind.

For that reason it really came as a shock, when I finally saw the real marks!

They were all below the minimal of five, but worst of all was the phonology in which I thought I was like a real professional.

I'd fallen in love with one part of it called phonography or phonetic transcription and used to phonograph either in my mind or aloud almost anything people said either to me or not!

The mark O, zero glared awfully and my assurance was very low when I got these terrible news.

Every drill I'd made had been wrong, eventhough they'd sounded quite right in my own ears.

I understood frankly, that I had to reconsider all my learning, or un-learning and change my habits.

My reconsideration had the great effect, that I didn't flunk anymore in the College.

I accomplished the retake in the fall and received by the way a seven in phonology.

I flunked in one subject and unhappily the one that had the most value for my future as a TEACHER!!!

I flunked in one subject and unhappily the one that had the most value for my future as a

TEACHER!!!