School That Are Different

Education

My favorite years in school were when I was too young to realize that I was actually in school: the early elementary years. When my teachers treated me as if I were special, when art, music, physical education, and reading were all wrapped up in the same class in the same day: those were the days that school was most enjoyable. In early elementary schools, teachers employ the perfect combination of teaching styles. Students learn the basics: the three Rs. Art and music are also integral to the curriculum, and students socialize in innocent ways. Physical education was fun: competitive without being cutthroat. Similarly, our academic tests were competitive but not high-pressure. During this phase of learning, teachers seemed more enthusiastic about their jobs than they did when we were older.

Images of schooling vary from fun and games to the exact opposite: detention halls and uncomfortable situations. I remember art classes and the glitter, glue, and props we used. I remember playing music on plastic recorders and learning basic chords on the piano and guitar. I remember smiling teachers who laughed when the students said something funny and who giggled as much as we did with a reference to bodily functions or fluids. The positive sensory images I retain of school include games in the school yard, creative exercises in the classroom, and meeting new friends.

Many students hated school, even though I looked forward to it. As a good student, I enjoyed learning how to read, and how to complete math and grammar problems. On the other hand, I did not like school when teachers became disillusioned with their jobs. I noticed this first in high school. Suddenly mathematics became a chore. I went from being a grade A math student to a grade C. math student because our trigonometry teacher was sullen and surly. Instead of making math fun and relevant, our teacher presented it as a tedious chore.