A Busy Week - 8th November 2008

Yesterday I attended the first session of the local Silversurfers intermediate session. Being self-taught it seemed a good idea to take advantage of the opportunity to plug some of the gaps I have. It appears it will help and devoting time and practice to focus on improving in a pleasant social setting is too good an opportunity to miss.

It was a soft, warm and sunny day and thoughts of a visit to Kew Gardens did enter my head but I thought I could do that later if the sun lasted. Unfortunately it didn't! But I found my way through the pleasant grounds marred byscattered lunch litter. The building is very new and quite striking with a lot of wood and glass. I wonder if the young realise how lucky they are with these light and modern buildings? My secondary school was 30 or 40 years old with far less light and long corridors and a dreadful smell of urine one end of the school where the boys toilets were. I wonder if they were ever cleaned or they were always in such a hurry they always missed and they were never cleaned thoroughly enough?
We were greeted pleasantly but then came the usual digs that we would have to work hard as of course we did but things were so different then and it was very far from perfect in the 50's and 60's and I resent the assumption that it was so much better then. The tv series that conclude that being shouted at by bullying teachers is somehow a recipe for tackling the problems of youth today is rubbish. Everything is so different now and the young have opportunities we could never have dreamed of. Much of the teaching was very dull and boring and many of the teachers were frustrated, cynical and bullies. I had chalk thrown at me by the Physics teacher and others shouted and put you down mercilessly. Fortunately, some were very good, imaginative and supportive but I remember my sister having nightmares about the teacher she had at 7 who had been a prison officer and was very frightening. He should never have been near primary children. My top year junior teacher slippered his adopted son in front of us and gave me nightmares too. We did nothing but tests and the seating for the next week was according to how well you did in the tests. There was no time for anything but the tests and I do not remember doing any art or anything else except swimming, netball and PE which was military type physical jerks and very bad for posture.
Many of the teachers had been in the forces and with the 'bulge' coming through after the war they were quickly trained and many were very unsuitable. There are parallels with today's graduates who have all the academic qualifications but no understanding whatever of child development. Yes, you do pick some up eventually but it seems a very unprofessional way to do it. The professional tutors at my teacher training college were remarkable and taught us a huge amount just by seeing them in action with young children. I learned so much with has stood me in good stead for a lifetime of teaching young children.