School. When you're a kid, you don't like it. But when you grow up and realize that without it you wouldn't be able to be anyone or go anywhere, and you start to realize it wasn't such a bad idea afterall.
As a mom, I look at school much differently than I did when I was a kid. I understand a little better now how important it is, and also what a blessing it is for us to have such easy access to it. I realize now that really, US schools provide good, but not great, education. I had no idea, until I was older, that some countries require their students to learn so much more than we had to! But I did know that there were some countries that didn't provide any public education, so I knew we were supposedly "lucky" to "get" to go to school. ;)
I really like the schools that my girls are in. The teachers care. They make learning fun! The principal gets hands on with the kids and the kids know that she cares. The schools and teachers are doing their best (despite budget cuts) to provide as much as they can for the students, not just with acadmics, but extra-curricluar activities as well. In the grade school, teachers volunteer to stay after to teach classes on subjects like: dance, photography, computers, magic, track, etc. Just so the kids can have a little extra out of their school experience. It is free for the kids, and as far as I know, the teachers are not being paid for that time. I also love that music continues to be a strong focus, beginning in grade school. Without the music program, Cadi wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn violin. She wouldn't have had the experience of performing in an orchestra, working under a conductor, learning how to add one element to a whole to create something beautiful that none of them could have done alone.
When my kids go to school, I don't worry about their safety. I trust where they are and who they are with. I have appreciated that the teachers have always been interested in challenging my girls. I've been blessed with smart kids; they have (so far) always been at the top of their class in nearly every subject. It would be easy for them to be put to the side as other students were more concentrated on, but instead, the teachers have been great to find ways to challenge my kids, too. It means extra work, but it also means that they continue to progress, learn, and grow. Often, it has given them the chance to do something they wouldn't have thought to do. One year, Acadia was asked to participate in a young author's conference. She had to write a short story, completely seperate from her other class assignments. Another year, she was asked to tutor one of her classmates in math. I am glad that my girls' teachers expect them to perform according to their own abilities, not just at the "grade level". As a result, Acadia tests more than 3 years above her grade in most subjects. And Rori is aready testing a year ahead in some of hers. I know a lot of it is that they just are bright girls that grasp concepts easily. But also, I think it is due to good teachers who care about each individual students' growth, and good schools that allow for that kind of teaching.
And yes, I have learned to really enjoy school days for my own selfish reasons, too! lol Peace, quiet, a chance to get something done and for it to stay done for a few hours, freedom to run errands or go to the store without worrying about dragging along someone who wants everything they see, going to lunch with my husband on occasion, going to the temple or visiting teaching without worrying about needing a sitter first... yeah, school is pretty awesome. ;)
And today, I am very grateful for it. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment