Dear otb,

Thank You for your opinion.

I have a brother who's a school principal.

Cheers.

G'day there POIROT...

Well I'll be damned, you too were a copper ? Now that's a real surprise I must say. Good on you !

o sung wu,

Sorry mate, I was just exercising a little license and playing on my OLO nickname - Poirot - you know.

So, no, not a detective. Thanks for the response though.

Cheers : )

Foxy,

"I have a brother who's a school principal."

It abounds it seems. My brother is a high school science teacher and my half-sister is a primary school teacher. My cousin was a high school English and language teacher, although now a head of department lecturing at uni on health and nursing practice...all the rest of the close family are accountants.

I'm the only fictional "detective".

Dear Poirot,

A teachers skills play an important part in a
child's education and yes - manners should
be taught by example. Some teachers often
use tactics similar to those they try to
eradicate in their pupils. They raise their
voices to end noise. They use force to break
up fighting. They are rude to a child who's
impolite, and they berate a child who uses
bad language.

In theory, we already know what good education is.
We have all the concepts. Unfortunately, one
cannot educate children on conception alone.
Children present problems which do not disappear.
Teachers need specific specific skills for dealing
effectively and humanely with minute-to-minute
happenings-the small irritations, the daily conflicts,
the sudden crises. All these situations call for
helpful and realistic reactions. A teacher's response has
crucial consequences. It creates a climate of compliance or
defiance, a mood of contentment or contention, a
desire to make amends or to take revenge. It affects the
child's conduct and character for better or for worse.

These are the facts of emotional life which make teaching
and learning possible or impossible. At their best,
teachers recognise this core truth: Learning is always in
the present tense, and it is always personal.

Dear Poirot,

We've got quite a lot in common. ;-)

cont'd ...

I forgot to add that part of my daily job
is also being a detective! ;-)