Experienced Educator

while others disregard them – crowd the streets. School started a few days ago, but the patterns of attendance differ from class to class, school to school and district to district which makes keeping schedules very challenging for teachers, parents and students alike. Some restaurants are now offering side-walk seating of the sort I saw in the City, and a large public parking lot in the middle of town has now in part been appropriated by adjacent bars and cafes as a place for patrons to sit outdoors.

There is perhaps a certain novel creativity in the air. Masks can now be purchased in gift shops, online, in pharmacies, at street-corner stores. One can buy them in a variety of patterns, including cat whiskers, skeletal smiles, floral designs and even one that has VOTE printed on it. Musicians who can no longer perform in concert halls play in the park free of charge to an audience gathered at a safe distance on blankets. A friend sent me a photograph of murals painted on the wood that has boarded up vacant stores on the Bowery in lower Manhattan. People have volunteered to shop for those who can’t safely get out and about. This morning I got a message from a social-service organization in Brooklyn asking for volunteers to make three calls a week to an elderly person who is alone and in need of human contact. For a few weeks – until the harvest was done – my daughter and grandson volunteered to pick produce at a local farm that distributes food to local needy families. (It was too hot for me to join them.)

The days are growing shorter. I no longer hear the peepers in the marsh across the street, but the crickets are chirping loudly at night. In a few weeks, I expect that the roads leading to and through New Paltz will be thick with cars, as the autumn leaves will be glowing their usual yellows and oranges, and sightseers will be wanting to catch the spectacular sweep of the mountains in their bright regalia. And I’ll be wondering what the world will look like the next time I write for OPEN!

CAN DO! AN INTERVIEW WITH TIIU VITSUT

What do you see as the worst and best aspects of today’s education from a (grand)parent’s point of view?

Firstly, let me say that it is a blessing and a privilege to see your children’s children grow in a world with opportunities we never had, facing challenges we never imagined. For us science fiction was a bubble, a fairy-tale; our grandchildren now live in that bubble. Their electronic toys invented some decades ago serve as their study tools. There is a lot of positive in our education – it’s contemporary, free and offers equal opportunities (almost, because the place of birth plays an important role in the availability of opportunities even in small Estonia). Teachers and students have access to a massive knowledge bank over the internet (in case this “human right” is granted where you live); the virtual world has almost no borders. In my opinion, the task of the school is

to teach navigation skills and critical thinking. And here’s a catch. Where is the system supporting teachers to keep up? Is it left with individuals’ need for professional development? In an ideal world professional development and in-service training opportunities should be part of the country’s educational system. And yet, on the downside of our current education, I witnessed the harm done by social distancing during the spring period and overall home-schooling. No matter how fancy the computers, screens and work platforms are – children and adults miss their peers, in-person contacts. The system did not collapse, but I hope it never repeats again at this scope. Maarja Vaino’s comment in today’s (Sep 15, 2020) Postimees points out one sample of a survival skill: “The current level of education has been maintained thanks to the wisdom of many teachers not to implement (my addition: in a hurry) any new reform coming from the ministry.” Thank you, teachers!

In modern times, the population is aging everywhere, therefore the role of grandparents should be gaining importance. The editorial article in Contemporary Social Science journal (Volume 13, 2018), Twenty-first century grandparents: global perspectives on changing roles and consequences by Ann Buchanan and Anna Rotkirch highlights the increasing role that grandparents are taking in raising the next generation, not only in the United Kingdom but across the world. “Why are grandparents playing a major role in rearing the next generation?” The same article concludes that “there is still much we do not know, but across the world, many of these grandparents are filling the gap for timepoor mothers and fathers (and in some cases failing parents). Indeed, they are the new army of proxy parents. As societies, we need to support them for they are playing an increasing role in raising the next generation. These children will be all our futures.” As a full-time working grandparent, I often feel sorry that I don’t have enough time for my grandchildren. On the recent Grandparents’ day, I was deeply moved when my grandkids, one by one, just dropped by to give a thank-you hug. I never knew of such a day in my childhood. My Grandmothers rarely hugged.

By the way, Arthur Kornhaber, M.D., founder of the Foundation for Grandparenting, has identified 11 special roles that grandparents play in the lives of children. They are (in alphabetical order): Ancestor, Buddy, Hero, Historian, Mentor, Nurturer, Role Model, Spiritual Guide, Student, Teacher, and Wizard. We cannot fill all these rolls equally well, but they are all important in the development and education of grandchildren.

How can you, in your position today, influence education in Estonia?

The understanding who to become came to me in the 10th grade at high school. I had played school with my toys and cousins since kindergarten, imitating the school stories of my older sister. But it had been just a game. I also played a dentist with my teddy bear, but this was because I was so afraid of dentists. Anyway, things changed in grade 9 because of my new English teacher, a very experienced lady, who had been to the UK! For me she was the voice and thought I believed in 100 per cent. I tried to pick up everything I could: her pronunciation, fluency, knowledge; I loved her classes, and with awe. In grade 10, I scored maximum in a big English level test (an absolute boost of confidence!); in summer after the 10th I worked as a camp counsellor together with a third year German language student of Tallinn University, and my mind was set – I want to become a teacher of English. And so, I did, and worked 10 years at Tallinn School no. 4.

The world changed in early 90s, and so did my life. During the fourth maternity leave in 1992, I challenged myself and changed tracks. Did I know what an embassy is? No. Did I know what Public Affairs means? No clue. Neither did we know anything about PR or private banking. We dived in and learned. I regretted for the first three years that I had quit school, because every June when my children stayed home for the summer I couldn’t. But gradually I learned how working with former colleagues and their students, offering them American music concerts, English language programs and materials supported the audiences.

has been done: Foreign Language Centers were established together with the British Council, the North-American Studies Center was opened at Tartu University in 1993 by the late Ambassador Robert Frasure, English language specialists and speakers were invited to speak at schools and present at local conferences, Estonian English teachers attended programs in the States. I was well aware that many school people did not consider American specialists in the field of teaching English so trustworthy as British experts who were considered authentic. However, there have been wonderful American English language specialists visiting and teaching in Estonia, presenting at EATE conferences, and touring schools. Embassy’s input and support to Estonian English teaching has been more than moderate. The four American Spaces in Estonia run multiple public programs. During the last decade, the number of our programs for English teaching has increased, monetary contribution as well as the number of specialists working in Estonia has been bigger than ever. The young English teaching assistants (ETA) who have had assignments in Estonia (Tallinn, Narva, Kohtla-Järve, Viljandi and Valga) for the past four years have provided a native speakers’ angle to the host schools and American Spaces. We partner with GLOBE schools and Junior Achievement, endorse STEAM education and youth exchange. As an outcome of our efforts to offer professional development for English teachers at vocational schools, we organized two conferences together with the British Council for this particular audience. As a result, in March 2020, a group of ten English teaching educators from vocational schools were invited to attend a program in the States. Unfortunately, COVID cut their trip short, and the follow-on virtual program in August did not fully replace the cancelled meetings with American colleagues.

This year, COVID has naturally taken its toll on most of our exchange programs. We all hope that January will bring us new ETAs, but we will have no ELFs (English Language Fellows) at Universities. My practice has taught me that people-to-people programs have the biggest impact on all parties involved. When you need to know about a country, ask somebody who was born and has lived there. Teaching English and telling the America story – its nature, cultural diversity, people, science - it is two in one with our guest speakers.

What skills in life do you find most necessary?

Sticking to one’s inborn values, we still have to try and go with the flow; we need to change with time, adapt to the new environment and expectations of the society – it is a survival skill. Very Estonian, isn’t it? Years ago, I learned and memorized from a Finnish wise-woman, a yoga guru and healer with herbs, many universal truths she targeted primarily at women: eliminate whining and complaining, look for and see the beauty around you, never knowingly harm anybody, listen more and speak less, consider your thoughts before you spell and share them. I have tried hard to follow these words of wisdom. And it has become much, much easier with age. I often meet school kids of different age, and sometimes I cannot but admire their scope of knowledge, and for me it instils faith in the future. Great moments! And at other times, I see young outwardly confident people with quick responses, reactions, which are, unfortunately, shallow, or totally misleading, wrong as for facts. It’s most unfortunate, but it does not irritate me anymore. I might have been like that myself when several decades younger. Their time will come, and sooner than expected, because our daily life is like on a roller coaster. And hopefully, like all generations before them, they need to learn from their own mistakes. But I don’t like to see young people living like rolling stones. Supposedly, it makes it easier to cope with hardship and the unknown. I tend to believe that we should know where we come from; a solid foundation of knowledge helps develop a broader picture, draw conclusions, and compare with present day issues. No matter how complicated new technologies may make the life of the not so very tech-savvy of us, people with a broader and deeper understanding have better chances to overcome difficulties. I am an avid believer in the mind of a peasant. Today’s slogans, “dream big, the sky is the limit “are great, inspiring, but keeping your feet down and head cold sound more like me.

Which skill or knowledge is the next one in your list?

In your opinion, what’s something that will always be in fashion, no matter how much time passes?

Honesty and politeness.

Which game from your childhood would you like to teach to children today, and why?

Today, children play too little outdoors. We played interesting scouting games and treasure hunting. Even playing a grocery store outdoors in summer with different wild plants and herbs, stones and spruce cones was creative. I have tried to arouse my grandchildren’s interest but haven’t been successful. I respect all parents and teachers who give their kids a chance to discover nature and wildlife. We shouldn’t forget that we are all part of it, it’s people’s duty to protect not abuse nature.

What do you do to unwind?

Sometimes to unwind means to do absolutely nothing! Sit back or have a nap. But my family knows that starting a clean-up, going for a walk (now again with a dog), reading or watching a missed movie on the follow-up is the time for me to actually unwind. I have no exclusive, un-heard-of, exotic hobbies to escape the daily routine. However, I tried meditation in the 80s. It was mysterious and promising. I learned the technique at a course, but I couldn’t practice it regularly, because there was always a big family and noise around me, so it was hard to switch off and focus. But maybe it still helped a little to keep my balance. In high school, the load of schoolwork and other off-school activities was very demanding, accomplishments for me came only with hard work. Knitting became my best unwinding technique in these years, the end of the seventies. Of course, motivation was high – nobody else had a similar sweater. When I had to learn something by heart (and there was quite a lot, both in high school and university), I could walk back and forth, repeating the text and… knitting at the same time with spools of yarn in my pockets.

Today, with mostly teleworking, it’s hard for me to stay away from garden work. Garden is a superb environment for unwinding. And here I sit, looking from my home-office window down at my garden and not getting there. Soon it will pass, as the weather gets colder and it’s not a tempting activity for a while. Then we will get to the period, where cosy evenings with friends (COVID permitting), books, or knitting help me unwind. By the way, now I mostly knit just for the sake of the process: knitting a long scarf, branch it out, and start all over – sounds stupid, but is very relaxing! Besides, it’s not an activity only for my finger, I’ve noticed that my toes move in the same rhythm. Try it! An armchair sport indeed.

Needless to say, I feel relaxed and at ease amidst my family either at home or in our country house. Cannot help, I am a people’s person.

When did something start out badly for you but in the end, it was great?

Nothing comes to mind.

What is the funniest joke that you have heard recently?

Jokes come and go, I enjoy them when I hear, but unfortunately, I am bad with sharing them. Humour definitely plays an important role in life. Therefore, I am a humour consumer, not a producer.

What is in the last photo you took?

The family apple tree in my country home garden is three years old and has one apple. A stubborn small red apple I did not dare to pick it yet but took a photo.