My name is Hjördís Skírnisdóttir and I’ve been teaching since 1992, first in primary schools, both in the capital area and here in the town of Höfn. Since 1997 I have been teaching at the secondary school of Framhaldsskólinn í Austur-Skaftafellssýslu (FAS) and my main subjects are German and Geology. Since 2003 I have been taking care of foreign relations at the school and have worked on several programs on behalf of FAS.
I was born in Höfn and lived the first 16 years on a farmhouse, 7 kilometers away from the town. After primary school I needed to go to college in Reykjavík. After graduation I went to the Iceland University of Education and later I studied German and Geology at the University of Iceland. When I lived in Reykjavík I also went to the Iceland Tourist Guide School and for many years I have worked as a tourist guide during school’s summer vacation. I mostly guide in the vicinity of Höfn and in East Iceland. Many of the best known places in the country are in our county, e.g. Skaftafell National Park, the ice lake Jökulsárlón and the glacier outlets Skálafellsjökull and Hoffellsjökull.
I love to spend time with my family (a husband and a sixteen-year old daughter). We often go hiking and we travel a lot both in Iceland and abroad.
This is the second time that FAS is working with a Polish school. In the school year 2009/2010 FAS worked with Szkół Nr 2 im. Eugeniusza Kwiatkowskiego, in Dębica in a project called ICEPO – young people promoting understanding between the nations. We are really looking forward to work with a Polish school again.