29.12.2006
CLOSE TO DEATH THE SECOND TIME
CLOSE TO DEATH THE SECOND TIME
l
After having tried in vain maintaining good discipline among the pupils of some classes of twelve and thirteen year olds in a school in Keflavik in the winter of 1981-82, I gave up teaching;
primarily because my contract wasn't renewed, rather then on Hornafjordur.
Sometimes in the middle of my latter teaching-winter I had the feeling I was going crazy;
I trembled even and shivered between the classes.
The school-board got me an assistance-teacher to help me make it until the spring-exams.
I had in the beginning of each winter;
first in the south-east of Iceland dealing with younger kids and then in my hometown with teenagers, started in autumn full of optimism and enthusiasm;
feeling quite sure of myself the first few weeks and months;
believing that I certainly were a great teacher trying out all these innovations that I had come to know in the Teachers' Training College and my pupils were certainly aware of the "excellence" of my teaching.
I wanted liberty and freedom in my classes meaning that the pupils weren't stricted to sit still in their seat, but could walk around, talk and assist each other, with my help whenever needed.
In my oppinion a teacher should be an instructor not a tyrant.
But of course the kids misunderstood what I had in mind by giving them all this freedom, after sitting under the strict rule of all their other teachers.
At first all the going was good I thought when I'd explained to them what I wanted, but as time passed I discovered that sorry to say I wasn't man enough to make my dream come true and everything went out of hand.
At last I found out that my dissability, a blurred and drawling speech was the reason for there wasn't any discipline or respect for me as their teacher, but it was too late to do anything about it!