I never realized that having kids would cause me to re-learn everything I THOUGHT I knew from my own elementary school education. Now that T1 and T2 are moving into specific areas of study like science, social studies, and more complicated math than basic addition and subtraction, I am finding that I'm learning along with them.
I have been helping in their classrooms two mornings a week...one morning in each classroom. Turns out there is a universal School Scent. Every school I've ever been in smells the same. It still smells like the school I went to when I was a child. It has a strong undercurrent of cleaning supplies (which, when ordered from a catalog must say "School Smell Cleaning Supplies), a chalkiness, or maybe essence of crayons, a hint of wet construction paper, and just the most subtle nuance of pee...like someone in the room didn't quite aim accurately when they went to the bathroom and got some on their shoes or something.
But the amazing thing I am finding is how much more information they have about the subjects they are learning. T2 has in his classroom a big book about Christopher Columbus, and it has details in it I never learned as a child. Both of them are learning about the Pilgrims at a much, much more realistic level than I ever learned in the happy, fun way it was presented back in the days when I made construction paper turkeys. They are learning the true story about how these people nearly all starved, and entire families were wiped out while they tried to make it through their first few years. They are also learning about how the Native Americans were also nearly destroyed by all the new diseases the Pilgrims (and others) brought with them. And T1's class has also been learning about rocks and minerals in her science unit. She is now rattling off facts about what the earth is made of and how different rocks are made that I'm pretty sure I didn't know until high school.
The Reenactor and I have both discovered that the way T1 is learning to add two columns of numbers is very, very different than the way we both learned it. The language involved is different. You no longer "carry" a digit from the first column to the second. They are being taught to "re-group." I can tell that I'm going to be in over my head in helping them with math sooner rather than later.
The fun part of this is that subjects that I normally wouldn't bother to read or study are in front of me now, and I'm re-learning too! I can maybe take a mid-life GED one of these days and see if I pass!
So campers, what "true fact" did YOU learn in elementary school that you now know is complete nonsense? Or what did you learn that still sticks with you today as a tool you use often?
Oh, and one more note...if you ever think that teachers are overpaid, just spend two hours in a classroom. I truly don't know how they aren't all stark, raving mad at the end of the day.
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3 comments:
What I learned about in Sunday School is what I'm having to re-learn--even after having classes in religion at Drury from fairly liberal thinkers. What is considered to be myths to explain truths or stories adapted from other religions or cultures, and what is based on true facts is puzzling and unsettling to what I grew up learning. This from not only our minister, but books, PBS specials, and other sources. John has no problem with assimilating the info; I struggle. I'm not sure how to present some of the O.T. Bible stories to the children with whom I work now. AuntieA
the fact is, try as I might to think of a solid truism learned in elementary school, I simply cannot get passed the idea that carrying a number in addition is no longer the language used. "regrouping"?? what in the world could that mean? now I can only think in math terms: "of" in algebra is the same as multiplying, as in: 20% of 100 = .20 x 100. I tried explaining this to someone at work recently with dismal results.
there's an interesting book called "lies my teacher told me" that addressed some of the myths in american history. I think teaching has changed a lot since I was in elementary school (no one ever said anything about disease when I was 8!) and I'm glad that children are getting a more complete picture of american history. I find that, even though I have a history degree, there are several parts of our history that I know precious little about. In a way, it's like math: if you don't practice it you find one day that your method is outdated.
who thinks teachers are overpaid? I've always been under the impression that they make very little given their responsibilities. hm.
Who thinks teachers are overpaid? Actually a lot of people do---mostly callers into right wing radio. But I hear people grumble about how much teachers make from time to time. It is one of those topics you don't raise around me unless you're itchin' for an argument.
I'll scan and send you an example of the "regrouping." It seems like a more complicated way of teaching it, but hey, T1 is learning how to do it!
As to Auntie A's comments about things we learned in Sunday School versus what we know, or are learning now...this has been a real awakening for me in recent years. I do think my own children are probably getting a better religious education now than any of us did, despite the well-meaning intentions of the wonderful ladies in our church. But our kids are learning more of a historical context for some of the Bible stories they are learning, including how people dressed, what they ate, the types of jobs people had then. It's a great way to learn, and ultimately I think they are getting a more rounded view of the stories.
And it IS hard to wrap your mind around something you believed literally was The Gospel (and I'm not just talking about the Bible here) is actually ---well for lack of a nicer word -- crap. Little things like the fact that December 25th is NOT when the Nativity likely happened. Okay, I learned that a long time ago (probably at Drury with MY liberal profs) but still, it kind of takes the wind out of your sails religiously speaking.
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