To Be and to Have
Etre et Avoir
A simple film - well not really a film - a beautiful documentary.

This is a year in the life of a French teacher monsieur Lopez - who runs a one man - one room rural school - teaching both infants and juniors in the district of Puy-de-Dome.

There is some remarkable film as the children and teacher seem not to notice the camera crew. Lopez works by setting one group of students work - while he works with another group.

He has amazing patience as he gradually persuades the younger children to read or do maths. His approach to discipline is to be firm but to talk through problems in a gradual way - tackling two of the older boys who had had a fight or the mischievous JoJo - well there always has to be one like him in a class.

JoJo always in trouble - always the center of attention - immediately became star. As did Alize - a little girl - very laid back - fantastic when she worries because someone has taken one of her erasers.

The film also showed some of the life of the area - the farming and the life of some of the children - the boy who is a bit aggressive - actually works like an adult on his parents farm - at 11 driving a tractor and cooking meals for his sister. One of the most hilarious scenes in the film was when his family tried to help him with maths.

All is not perfect - one of the pupil's father has cancer. One of the girls - although a good student is very withdrawn and it is great how their teacher deals with these problems.

The film hit me as it reminded me how when I was lecturing in the early days we had the time and structure to spend more time dealing with problems - building confidence - building awareness of a student's potential. Which has now been destroyed by larger classes and a more prescriptive curriculum - so that you are more concerned with achieving dozens of petty little goals by virtual rote teaching - so that you don't time - you don't have the framework to develop students properly.

So the film was nice to see that someone still is in a position to be able to teach - as teachers should teach. It would be an idea for all politicians to see this film to get an idea of what teaching is really about.

Its an absolutely lovely film - please see it - and at my favourite cinema - Richmond Filmhouse.

On the way home I stopped for chips and cake on a very sunny Richmond Green.

When I got home younger daughter had robbed bottles of red wine and was entertaining her friends in the garden.

So a Good Night for all - but what about the kitchen?