Daily Prompt: Teach Your (Bloggers) Well

Posted in Challenges by angloswiss

We all know how to do something well — write a post that teaches readers how to do something you know and/or love to do.

Photographers, artists, poets: show us TEACHING.

Painting on Building Bahnhofplatz, Solothurn

This photo is of a painting on the wall of an ordinary apartment house in our local town of Solothurn. At the top you can see our cathedral with its surrounding baroque style towers and the figures are walking towards the bottom down the moat walls until they arrive at a green meadow. All the people in the design seem to be doing something, connected with their trade or just enjoying theirselves.

So now for the theme of the prompt. Anyone here want to learn fluent Swiss German, how to write the Cyrillic alphabet, or perhaps find out what html is all about on the computer and not just copy paste, but go into the details and do it all in computer language? No-one? I do not blame you, at my age I would not want to do that again.

Of course I could write a post all about the secrets of training felines. I have three and since twelve years, but the only thing I have learnt that I can pass on is that you cannot train felines, they train you and humans are just here to obey and not command in this respect.

Most of the things I can do were more or less self-taught. You do not speak to a Swiss German in his own language by going to school and learning. You can learn German, which is difficult enough at school, but Swiss German – no. Just listen to what the others say and do it the same, on the basis that you stay in the same town and do not wander around to other towns. Living in Bern where the words of the language are about 10 words per hour, is different to living in Zürich where the words arrive 100 words per hour (the time difference is only figuratively speaking). What I mean is that the Bernese take their time, no rush and you arrive comfortably at your target. Zürich is a business centre and so decisions are made quicker. Not wanting to either criticise or praise, but being originally an Anglo that grew up speaking cockney, things can become complicated in Switzerland. There is a Swiss dialect to suit each Kanton/State, even towns: after living here almost fifty years I have now got the hang of it, although I would not like to spend time in the Kanton of Valais. I have the feeling it is only the Valliser that understand their dialect. The Bernese Overland can also get very complicated, but thanks to the ski tourism from other countries, most people speak or at least understand English.

I could give a few cooking lessons but every housewife has her own favourites and specialities. My ratatouille is quite favoured at home; I also manage quite a good chilli con carne, not to mention my homemade pizza. I make spaghetti Bolognese, al sugo, al pesto, arrabiata, carbonara etc. etc., but who am I to tell you how to do it.

I brought up four children, but that was learning by doing and still is, although I now only have one at home. I have been married for 46 years this February and that was definitely learning by doing on both sides of the fence. We began married life speaking English but after a year I was slipping into the local lingo and English only now exists at home if we have visitors from English speaking countries.

As far as being a teacher is concerned. I taught English in a Swiss evening school, but it is not my thing. I am not an expert in pedagogy. Just knowing the language is not enough, you have to bring it across to your victims and not show them how well you can speak it, so I gave that up.

And now for some Tai Chi practice, which I am still learning and practicing daily. You are never too old.

Daily Prompt: Teach Your (Bloggers) Well

Teaching Pingbacks

17 thoughts on “Daily Prompt: Teach Your (Bloggers) Well”

maspring37

25/01/2014 at 17:32

Can cats act? I saw a show where they dressed a dog to play the cat . The pleasure of observing a cat on screen lies in its aloofness; knowing that it doesn’t give a rat’s tail about what it was asked to do, just walked off with its nose in the air. No wonder they were feted by the Eygptians .

LikeLike

Reply
- angloswiss
  
  25/01/2014 at 18:03
  
  The Russians have cat circus where they do tricks. It is all a matter of training with the right food at the right time probably. I would not call it acting, just clever training.They were Gods in Egypt and have never forgot it.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
Pingback: Socratic Dialogue, How to Write/Daily Prompt | I'm a Writer, Yes I Am
Pingback: Daily Prompt: Teach Your (Bloggers) Well | The Wandering Poet
Pingback: How to make a felt rose | A mom's blog
Marilyn Armstrong

25/01/2014 at 21:40

Not merely am I too old to start learning anything that takes more than one short lesson — the ADHD must get worse with age … or is it my unwillingness to suffer fools? — I’m equally unwilling to teach. Talk about suffering fools. Oy.

Yesterday was computer fixing day. My son, who used to be a professional computer repair guy and who has, apparently forgotten (intentionally?) everything he ever knew, handed me his laptop. Seven hours later, it was running pretty well, though it could use a full reload of the OS which I’m not going to do. Still, I think it’s at least a working computer and not the doorstop it was when I got it.

With all the jokes they make about Old People and computers, how come I’m the ONLY one in this 3-generation household who understands how computers work? How come, huh? I wanted to beat the kid (all 6’4″ 240 lbs of nearly bald 44-year-old kid) to death with that 15″ laptop. I’m definitely getting old and cranky.

LikeLike

Reply
- angloswiss
  
  26/01/2014 at 09:20
  
  Mr. Swiss and I both have our problems with the computer, but working together to cure them is something like learning how to drive a car with the partner – it does not work so well. We seem to have different ideas, so we do our own thing more or less. Now and again we meet somewhere in the middle.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
Pingback: Daily Prompt: Teaching | Nola Roots, Texas Heart
Pingback: Of a how-to… | Concentrate On Yourself
Pingback: Eulogy Heard By Nobody | The Jittery Goat
Pingback: How I paint – Teach Your (Bloggers) Well | Caring and Creating
Martha Kennedy

26/01/2014 at 03:38

Grüezi! How about Graubunden and Romansch. I think you’re amazing. I’m embarrassed whenever I’m wandering around in Zürich because I can only say, “Ein pretzel mit lachs, bitte” and stuff like that.

LikeLike

Reply
- angloswiss
  
  26/01/2014 at 09:17
  
  We get the odd TV programme in Romantsch. I understand it a little bit, but they also have about 3-4 dialects. If you know a little bit of latin and italian it would go in that direction. The kids grow up with it, but of course have to speak German as well, otherwise they would be quite isolated.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
Martha Kennedy

26/01/2014 at 03:39

http://marthakennedy.wordpress.com/2014/01/25/socratic-dialogue-how-to-writedaily-prompt/

LikeLike

Reply
Pingback: Teaching the Art of Being an Other « psychologistmimi
jacquelineobyikocha

26/11/2015 at 18:19

I am really doubtful if there will ever be a marriage and parenting that gets it all. It’s learning on the job because households are all different.

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply
- angloswiss
  
  26/11/2015 at 19:25
  
  That’s what makes life interesting.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply