Such a beautiful fall night and I'm feeling very nostalgic. So thinking about my one room education in Hereford, SD where I started school with Mrs. Eppenbaugh. She had also taught my Grandmother Lois. Mrs. Eppenbaugh brought a black lunch box every day with the apple and the paring knife. At lunch, while we ate, she would cut the apple and read to us from the classics.
Beside the front door to the school was an old bell that was the same one that my Grandma and her siblings rang. Nearby was the flag pole that was the center of the opening and closing activities. On nice days we would all go and say the Pledge of Allegiance as the flag went up. The care and folding of the flag was an assigned chore each day where we carefully folded and put the flag up.
The front porch doubled as the goalie for cold day soccer or dodge ball or protection from the boys' snowballs and a way to be outside on the worst wintery days. Beside and behind the school, the wind blew the snow in such a way that it would pile up to the roof as if someone placed a huge dam all around the school. We all raced out each recess to work on the tunnels and rooms that we built in the snow. In fact, we had extra time in the winter to get bundled up. By the end of winter we would have tunnels excavated throughout the drift with rooms, air holes and secret caches.
When I could drive, I found the drift a great opportunity. My Volvo was perfect for driving right up and around the drift. I'll never forget driving on the drift looking out over the school.
We also made ice houses and igloos as forts for snow ball wars. With our boots, we would step the snow into squares and then use our hands to finish the cut and stack them. We filled in the cracks and if the snow melted and refroze-they would last all winter long.
The school still had the old outhouse for "just in case" times. Skunks, snakes and whatever else made their home in there. Once, the boys tied me in with one hand tied going down one hole and the other in the second. Then they took bets as to how long it took for Mrs. Barry to miss me and come looking. Then there was outhouse tipping. Or when it was "Little House on the Prairie." It was also a great fort, a barn, jail...
The best part was being in school with my sisters. All of us together as learners, teachers, mentors and coaches. My son Josh went Kindergarten and 1st grade while my sisters and brother were 6th/7th and 8th. They helped teach him! Still the best education there is.
I laugh when I hear of "new initiatives" with older students teaching younger ones. That is not new. A great education and a model of education that I believe in. One that integrated community, family and education; work and play; academic and functional. Responsibility and engaged learning were not taught or goals to be met but rather just how it was done. Parents didn't just "participate" in but rather were the school. Children were not compartmentalized into abilities, grades or needs. Children were not on pedestals to be protected and admired nor put down or taken for granted or minimized.
Expectations were high enough to motivate and realistic enough to be attainable. You didn't have to hire janitors, paras, music teachers, art teachers, special educators, computer technology specialist, dietitians, food service, bus drivers, coaches, nurses, consultants, counselors etc.
That was the teacher, the parents and the kids and the community's job. And... they did it well. Simplistic? Idealistic? Romantic? Healthy. Sane. Functional. Effective.
Beside the front door to the school was an old bell that was the same one that my Grandma and her siblings rang. Nearby was the flag pole that was the center of the opening and closing activities. On nice days we would all go and say the Pledge of Allegiance as the flag went up. The care and folding of the flag was an assigned chore each day where we carefully folded and put the flag up.
The front porch doubled as the goalie for cold day soccer or dodge ball or protection from the boys' snowballs and a way to be outside on the worst wintery days. Beside and behind the school, the wind blew the snow in such a way that it would pile up to the roof as if someone placed a huge dam all around the school. We all raced out each recess to work on the tunnels and rooms that we built in the snow. In fact, we had extra time in the winter to get bundled up. By the end of winter we would have tunnels excavated throughout the drift with rooms, air holes and secret caches.
When I could drive, I found the drift a great opportunity. My Volvo was perfect for driving right up and around the drift. I'll never forget driving on the drift looking out over the school.
We also made ice houses and igloos as forts for snow ball wars. With our boots, we would step the snow into squares and then use our hands to finish the cut and stack them. We filled in the cracks and if the snow melted and refroze-they would last all winter long.
The school still had the old outhouse for "just in case" times. Skunks, snakes and whatever else made their home in there. Once, the boys tied me in with one hand tied going down one hole and the other in the second. Then they took bets as to how long it took for Mrs. Barry to miss me and come looking. Then there was outhouse tipping. Or when it was "Little House on the Prairie." It was also a great fort, a barn, jail...
The best part was being in school with my sisters. All of us together as learners, teachers, mentors and coaches. My son Josh went Kindergarten and 1st grade while my sisters and brother were 6th/7th and 8th. They helped teach him! Still the best education there is.
I laugh when I hear of "new initiatives" with older students teaching younger ones. That is not new. A great education and a model of education that I believe in. One that integrated community, family and education; work and play; academic and functional. Responsibility and engaged learning were not taught or goals to be met but rather just how it was done. Parents didn't just "participate" in but rather were the school. Children were not compartmentalized into abilities, grades or needs. Children were not on pedestals to be protected and admired nor put down or taken for granted or minimized.
Expectations were high enough to motivate and realistic enough to be attainable. You didn't have to hire janitors, paras, music teachers, art teachers, special educators, computer technology specialist, dietitians, food service, bus drivers, coaches, nurses, consultants, counselors etc.
That was the teacher, the parents and the kids and the community's job. And... they did it well. Simplistic? Idealistic? Romantic? Healthy. Sane. Functional. Effective.
Comments
Post a Comment