Mark O’Meara: the blog

One small step by Colin 30d

It would seem that this is the week where my stars are lining up. I had expressed interest in a year level coordinator position earlier in the week and today I saw the list and I will be there Year 10 Coordinator next year. I suspect winning that award from the students didn’t hurt my chances any. There is no more money in this extra role but it will be good experience and it is nice as an expression of some kind of faith in my abilities and habits.

Lesson for the day - there are worse things than putting your hand up to try something a bit different.

Why leaders are opting out early - Opinion - theage.com.au

Menzies’ parrying of potential leadership heirs — he was accused of building a firebreak of mediocrity around him — has long been recognised as one of the faults of his prime ministership.

I just like the phrase firebreak of mediocrity. I might try to slip that into my own speech at some point.

Lesson for the day - collect.

Film Reel I by Tyler Paradiso

Since I don’t have much to say about my album of the week I was thinking about the long list of movies that I liked. Once that I especially thought was worth mentioning is Kenneth Branagh’s 1991 film Dead Again.

I believe this modern piece of detective noir was Branagh’s first American film and it’s wonderful on lots of levels. The short version of the plot is that a woman (Emma Thompson) loses her memory and detective Mike Church (Branagh) investigates a celebrity murder from years earlier (where as husband is executed for killing his wife with a pair of scissors) which she seems to know about. The film then swaps between post-war LA (where Branagh and Thompson play the couple involved) and modern times and the story gets more tense and much more involved.

The whole film is nicely clever, subtle, wry, and has mostly terrific dialogue. It’d give it four scissors.

Lesson for the day - good moofies should be celebrated.

Trophies 1 by optically active

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Man of the Hour by Nicky P

By the time I got to the formal last night I had mostly forgotten about the popular vote for most inspirational teacher. Back when the voting was on I had heard that I was one of the people who polled reasonably well. I figured that if I had polled especially well someone would drop me a hint (people know I love praise) so when they didn’t it slipped my mind.

At some stage in the evening five teachers were called up to the front so up I went. Then, just like that, the winner was announced and it was me. Much as this sounds disingenuous I had not expected to win so this was a lovely surprise. I was asked to say a few words which were, now that I look back at them, largely meaningless.

As far I can remember this is the first time I have actually won anything. It’s kind of nice in its own strange way.

Lesson for the day - you never know your luck.

Boy and Bear and Tent by MarkOMeara

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The gathering storm by coralquest

It’s is really raining here. Serious rain. Determined rain. I am sure you get the idea.

Lesson for the day - what doesn’t wash the gardens away is good for them.

Happy Man waiting for a Dance, Near Globe- Arizona by aliarseguel

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We have dreamed about such a tree house!! by zahn-i

Nicky went off to the AGM for the Finn’s kinder a clever and lovely woman and returned a clever and lovely Lady President. Actually she is not the Lady President, she is just the President.

I think it’s something she’ll both do smashingly well and get some satisfaction out. Both of these are good if ask me.

I actually had a suspicion that this might happen. I know I once attended a meeting for the playgroup and narrowly avoided becoming the president and Nicky is about three times cleverer than me so I figured they’d snap her up. And, for once, I was quite right.

Lesson for the day - I guess this makes me The First Boyfriend (even though I am well down that particular list).

Tucked under by Szmytke

I must admit that when I teach things I learn them in a whole new way compared to when I am exposed to this information in the regular fashion. In Geography at the moment we are looking at developing countries and it has given me a whole new understanding of just how dire circumstances are in many places around the world. Obviously a knew that not everyone lives the life of luxury that we have here in Australia but I was really struck by just how little so many people have and how a small contribution can make a big difference to so many lives.

One of the things I have become quite interested in is micro-credit, especially organisation like Kiva. The other is those gift catalogues from places like Care and Oxfam.

If you happen to a family member wondering what to get me for Christmas feel free to skip the DVD section and check out these places for a chook or a pig or something useful for folk who could really use it.

Lesson for the day - a small gift, well placed, can make a massive difference.