Rigmor Eriksson

Tack för gott samarbete och inspiration!

Tack kära Rigmor för att du har varit en sådan fantastisk storasyster och svägerska.
Stor sorg och saknad.

In memory of Rigmor

My first meeting with Rigmor was at Karlslunde School in February 1984, where she came to visit my English class to see how I tackled a 'not-streamed 8th grade - and thus was coping with differentiation. I distinctly remember the energetic, brown-eyed and brown-haired lady who entered the inspector's office, where I was waiting for her. Up in class, I experienced for the first time her deep interest in and her commitment to what was going on around her and what she wanted to find out about - characteristics of Rigmor!
That the visit also left its mark on Rigmor is evident from the contents of her letter to me after the visit. I quote:
Hej Leni!
Ett stort tak ska Du ha för att jag fick komma till er skola og vara med på lektionarna! Jag har talat entusiastisk om Karlslunde-skolan med alla i min omgivning, og sen kommer mitt stora problem hur ska jag kunna förmedla de här tankarna til språklärarna här i Sverige
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Många hälsninger og tak också till rektorn. Det är första gången jag har börjat en skoledag med en Aalborg ja det var verkligen en minnesvärd dag!
This first visit was the start of a long, warm, inspiring and constructive cooperation and friendship!

The Nordic workshops.
When Gerd Gabrielsen, the Danish Teachers' College, sent out invitations to the first Nordic Workshop on Developing Autonomous Learning in the FL Classroom for teachers, in-set teacher trainers and researchers - primarily from the Nordic countries - in Køge in September 1986, Rigmor was of course together with Thomas Ahlberg, Bror Andared, Erik Hult and Torsten Lindblad among the participants from Sweden.
In 1991, Rigmor and June Miliander organized the Fourth Nordic workshop on Autonomous Learning with bravura. It took place in Ransäter, near Karlstad. From being 22 participants in Køge, we were now 37 participants from Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and Sweden. Here, Rigmor together with June showed her great skills in terms of organization, but also her sense of the importance of the combination of work and nature and culture (the choice of Ransäter for the event and the visit to Mårbacka (Selma Lagerlöf's home). And which of us present does not remember the last evening in the barn with folk dancing and singing, where Bengt no doubt had had a big say in the organization
For many, many years, Rigmor was among the regular inner circle in the Nordic workshops. The 14th Nordic Workshop was held in Hanover, Germany, in 2019!

In-service training
Rigmor and I shared the same strong wish to pass on to other language teachers our own experiences with and insight into a differentiated language teaching that actively involves students in their own learning.
In 1993 Rigmors thesis was published: Teaching Language Learning In-service training for communicative teaching and self-directed learning in English as a foreign language. In her acknowledgements Rigmor writes:

"In the first in-service training courses we arranged for disseminating the ideas which I had seen practised in Leni Dams class, she herself inspired a small but enthusiastic group of teachers to practice self-directed learning in their classes. Today some of these teachers have taken over the task of spreading the message, notably Jörgen Tholin. Few listeners can avoid being influenced by his conviction that pupils can be taught to become better learners and to assume responsibility for their own learning."
I clearly remember one of these courses which took place on Gotland and I remember Jörgen sitting on the first row!

More Memorable Events: 50th Birthday and Honorary Doctorate
1991 was also the year I turned 50. Great was my joy that both Rigmor and Bengt as well as June and Erik had the opportunity to participate in celebrating me. It was a lovely evening with a lot of dancing like in Ransäter! I think with warm feelings of all four when I drink from the beautiful glasses that they gave me as a gift.
In 2007, probably one of the biggest events of my professional life occurred: Thanks to an amazing effort on the part of Rigmor and June, I became an honorary doctor at Karlstad University! It was fantastic! I was - and am - very grateful to both of them - and I constantly wear the ring with pride!

A final goodbye
In recent years, unfortunately, the close connection between us has become less, but the memory of our friendship and cooperation is still very strong! Thank you, Rigmor!
Leni

Härliga Moster Rigmor! En vänligare och mer omtänksam själ får man leta efter. Släkten kommer sakna dig!

Rigmor!
Du kom till oss HT 1959, som en frisk fläkt och blev vår mycket omtyckta engelsk lärare och klassföreståndare i 4 år. Efter vår student har vi träffats vart 5:e år och med åren blivit goda vänner. Du bjöd generöst hem oss alla på lunch vid 50-års jubileet och sista gången vi sågs bjöd du på tårta hemma i Haga. Vi kommer att sakna dig mycket!

Käraste Rigmor!
Tack för all glädje och vänskap ända sen ungdomens dar.

Kära Rigmor, tack för inspiration och uppmuntran inom språkundervisning och -inlärning!

Rigmor!
Så tomt det kommer att bli utan dig. Du är en av mina äldsta och bästa vänner. Alltid vänlig, alltid lyssnande, alltid eftertänksam och alltid ödmjuk. Så mycket roligt vi har haft samtidigt som vi jobbade med föreläsningar, artiklar, läroböcker. De sista åren våra oändliga partier Wordfeud. Fortfarande tittar jag då och då till i mobilen innan jag inser att du nu inte kommer att göra några fler drag. Aldrig mer, det är så orimligt svårt att förstå.
Vila i frid kära, kära Rigmor.