Final Mobility at Goethe-Gymnasium Bensheim (Germany) - April 2013

Comenius-Project ”Manners and More(s)-Why they still matter !”

Schedule for Final Student-Teacher Mobility – Goethe-Gymnasium Bensheim

(Germany, Poland, Spain)

Monday, 22^nd April – Thursday, 25^thApril 2013

Date and   People in Charge	Time	Event
Sun 21st
Spanish delegation       Frau Tonti, Frau Waltz Host families for Spanish students	9.05 a.m., LH 1147     17.59, Gleis 2	Arrival of delegation from Spain at Frankfurt/Airport; sightseeing Frankfurt     ·     Spanish students are picked up by host families   ·     Spanish teachers check-in at Hotel Präsenzhof
Mon 22nd
Spanish delegation, Frau Harth	9.00-12.00	Spanish students attend classes:   Period 3 /4: Spanisch LK Q 2 Period 3 /4: Spanisch LK Q 4 Period 5: Spanisch 6 e Period 5: Spanisch 8 c
Spanish delegation       Host families for Spanish students	13.59 ab       18.59 an	Spanish delegation visits Heidelberg
Polish delegation     Herr Löffler, Frau Waltz; Host families for Polish students	17.00	Arrival of delegation from Poland by bus together with Polish exchange group   ·         Polish students are picked up by host families   ·         Polish teachers check-in at Hotel Präsenzhof
Tue 23rd
Herr Löffler; Herr Mayer German, Polish and Spanish Comenius students and teachers	9.00	Formal welcome meeting
Q 2 (Mayer)	10.00	Guided tour of school in groups
German, Polish and Spanish Comenius students and teachers	11.00  –   12.30	Workshops aiming at compiling a teenagers’ handbook of international etiquette under the title of “Manners Make the World Go Round”: Focus on Exchange and Documentation
Frau Tonti, Polish team		A)     Must-knows:
Frau Harth   Students from Q 4		B)     National Customs:
Herr Mayer   Students from Q 4		C)     Manners and Media:
Frau Waltz, Polish team   Student from Q 4		D)     Manners- Past and Present:
German, Polish, Spanish Comenius students and teachers	12.30 – 14.00	Lunch Break: The “Mensa” Experience
German, Polish, Spanish Comenius students and teachers	14.00-16.00	Workshops Continue: Focus on Action/Production:
Frau Tonti		A)                  Must-knows: Oops ! Saving face with grace
Frau Harth   Students from E-Phase		B)                 National customs: German dancing
Herr Mayer		C)                  Manners and Media: e.g.mailing, chatting, photographing
Frau Waltz		D)                  Manners- Past and Present: Costume photographing
German, Polish, Spanish Comenius students and teachers	16.00-16.30	Coffee
Wed 24th
German, Polish, Spanish Comenius students and teachers;	8.00-9.00	International breakfast with typical breakfast components from the partners’ countries
German, Polish, Spanish Comenius students	9.35-11.10	Participation in class
German, Polish, Spanish Comenius students and teachers	11.10  - 12.30	Workshops- Participants rotate this way:   Workshops A and D swap Workshop B and C swap
Frau Tonti		A)     Must-knows
Frau Harth   Students from Q 4		B)     National Customs
Herr Mayer   Students from Q 4		C)     Manners and Media
Frau Waltz Polish team   Student from Q 4		D)     Manners – Past and Present
German, Polish and Spanish teachers	12.30 – 13.45	Teachers’ Lunch with headmaster
Polish and Spanish students with their hosts	12.30-14.00	Students’ Lunch with hosts in Mensa
German, Polish, Spanish Comenius students and teachers	14.00-15.30	Workshops continue
Frau Tonti		A)     Must-knows: Oops ! Saving face with grace
Frau Harth   Students from E-Phase		B)     National customs: German dancing
Herr Mayer		C)     Manners and Media: e.g.mailing, chatting, photographing
Frau Waltz		D)     Manners- Past and Present: Costume photographing
German, Polish, Spanish Comenius students and teachers	15.30-16.00	Coffee
German, Polish, Spanish Comenius students and teachers; host families	19.00-21.00	Farewell Feast
Thur, 25th
Spanish delegation	7.45     Around noon   15.40, LH 1144	Host parents drop Spanish students and luggage at “Hotel Präsenzhof”   Departure from Bensheim by train     Departure of Spanish delegation from Frankfurt Aiport
Polish delegation	8.00   Morning     17.00	Gathering at Goethe-Gymnasium   Exploring the region   Departure of Polish delegation from Goethe-Gymnasium by bus

 

English Humour

A sense of humour is a defining characteristic.

It’s what helps us forge bonds and relationships with others. We gravitate toward those that share our same idiosyncratic view of the world and we seek to validate this with interaction as much as possible. What makes us laugh is as individualistic as it is predictable. We pride ourselves on our unique sense of humour but are never shocked that swathes of others share our laughter.

Humour is a science: the telling of a joke is a wonderful construction as much as it is ridiculous.  This covers vast swathes of human interaction and is never tiresome of exploration; the plethora of comedic out-pouring is testament to this.

For the British, comedy and humour are tied to our history of liberalism and independent thinking. From the great satirical cartoonists of the 18^th Century to the birth of surrealist comedy from Monty Python in the 1960’s and the irreverent comedians of 1980’s alternative comedy, we are constantly finding new and innovative ways of raising a smile. 

Our love of laughter is embedded in our literature too; from the witty aphorisms of Oscar Wilde to the musings of P.G. Wodehouse and onto the populist writers such as Nick Hornby we seek solace and acceptance through the shared experience of humour.

In a way this love of comedy stems from our awkwardness from social situations; our complex systems of social behaviour and manners are always fuel for amusement.  No matter which part of British society that one may inhabit we are always able to crack a joke and guffaw with conviction and our heritage pays homage to our peculiarly individual sense of humour.

After all; it’s the way we tell ‘em.

 

Mr. Costa Dyer, Business Academy Bexley, Kent (England)