This is a TARDIS (an acronym for Time and Relative Dimension in Space), a fictio

nal time machine and spacecraft that anyone whos familiar with the British sci-fi
TV series Doctor Who will recognise. The TARDIS is a product of advanced extrat
errestrial technology designed to transport its occupants (usually the Doctor an
d his fellow travelers) to any point in time and any place in the universe. Howe
ver, its a very unpredictable machine which often gets the Doctor where he needs t
o go rather than where he wants to go.
Well, if you have an odd, twisted mind like mine, in which absolutely everything
in the universe is directly related to all things (even if remotely) cinematic,
you may have already noticed the obvious connections: TARDIS/classroom, the Doc
tor/teacher, fellow travellers/students. Crystal clear, innit? We all know that
the moment we step into the classroom, although we may know very well where we w
ant to go, the unpredictability of this place will normally take us somewhere el
se. Hopefully, where we need to go.
On Friday, May 23rd, my fellow travellers were a delightful party of almost 50 t
rainee teachers and our TARDIS was the Botafogo Auditorium. Honestly, I was surp
rised that rather than doing something fun (like seeing a film at the cinema, fo
r example), those young people might want to spend a Friday afternoon discussing
ways to start and finish a lesson, how to deal with latecomers, or how to give
and check instructions. But they came and I couldnt have asked for a nicer group
of people to work with. (And I must confess that working with youngsters is most
definitely my praia!)
Initially, my plan was to run a f2f training session on Classroom Management as
part of the Trainee Teacher Programme but it ended up being so much more than th
is. It was an incredibly rich opportunity for sharing, learning and growth. And
although we (the trainees and I) felt that the session was relevant to all becau
se it provided these novice teachers not only with practical tips but also the o
pportunity to reflect on their practice and to exchange experiences, what made t
hose 3 hours so memorable at least to me - was the fact that we all genuinely wa
nted to be there and wanted to make the most of it. Personally, it was very rewa
rding to see that they were so relaxed during the session that they felt absolut
ely at ease to say and ask whatever they wanted and needed, and how eager they a
re to learn, to experiment and to develop. We were all learners there.
So heres to my fellow travellers, who gave me much more than a trainer can ask fo
r from a Friday afternoon training session. Looking forward to our next journey
together.
This is one corner of one country, in one continent, on one planet thats a corner o
f a galaxy thats a corner of a universe that is forever growing and shrinking and
creating and destroying and never remaining the same for a single millisecond.
And there is so much, so much to see.
The Doctor, Season 7, Episode 4
MONICA FREIRE
monica.freire@culturainglesa.net
Monica is an Academic Coordinator.