I'm a child of the 1950's.
Numerous decades have gone by and, though I take my hat off to teachers coping with such large numbers of children in a classroom every day, I still hold a disappointment of the teachers of my early life. So why, you may ask, am I so disillusioned with the education I received.
"Could do better" was often written on my school report. I was 5, 7, 10 or 12. A child. I was doing my best. I had no idea HOW I could do better. No-one told me, no-one showed me how. They just did their job of offloading facts, numbers and words that I didn't understand. For instance: 'who was King in 1830?' Did I even know that was a year? All I knew was who the current Queen was. Perhaps from the television I heard of her father's reign but information about other Monarchs did not stick in my brain. 'What's the capital of Algeria? I only knew London was the capital of the country I lived in, I had never travelled further than Cornwall or Wales! I don't remember having a globe or atlas shown me in school which may have helped.
I know now that I am an experiential learner - SHOW me things I can see, feel, hear, touch, smell, taste and they mean something. Logarithms and algebra - what were they for? Have I used them since? No never.
However, stories I could do. I could read, write, draw and paint. I liked dancing, skating, sewing. The latter I was shown in class, step by step how to pin material, how to use a sewing machine, how to 'show off' my 'makes' in a school fashion show, and feel proud of my achievements. Cooking too was a step by step process which I understood and enjoyed (except that we were made to eat our products and the Domestic Science teacher stood over me making me eat cheese on toast and drink a cup of tea - two things I hated, ugh!) We had a mock flat in the DS room and we were shown how to polish, use a carpet sweeper, clean a sink and bath and how to wash up. Does this still happen? I doubt it, but it made me a capable homemaker later on (mother taught me to do the ironing!).
When I was in the 3rd year of senior school I came 2nd in the class for English. So the teacher deemed it necessary to 'put me up' to the 'A' stream; whipping me away from friends into a class where I knew no-one and the other pupils had all done 2.5 years of French lessons! So I had to sit those out as they realised I would never catch up.
In this new class we did music too - lots of five bar paper with dots and dashes to write on. I never did learn to read music. But the singing was lovely and I joined a choir and we sang on stage at Birmingham Town Hall in front of the Queen Mother. The teacher was lovely and encouraging telling me to 'just do what you can'. How kind.
The new English teacher however, made pupils read out aloud in class which I struggled to do and on two occasions I embarrassed myself struggling to read a sentence without getting words wrong. I was banished from the classroom.
"Stand outside in the corridor until the end of class"
and another time,
"go and walk around the playground 10 times."
I felt eyes on me from other classrooms and being laughed at.
Yes, I was a weak student and a target for stronger characters to poke fun at or bully. Later I was told by a Commerce teacher I would not pass my exams which made me determined to try to prove him wrong. I studied harder and passed. Not with flying colours but it taught me a life lesson - perseverance pays off. It taught me (at last) I could do better.
Then I was suddenly out in the working world, a young 15 year old with little self-confidence in this new situation. After a year working in a management committee office of a major Birmingham hospital my parents decided to send me to full time secretarial college. I think my cousin's achievement of 120 wpm shorthand may have been part of it; she had a good job at the law courts. I had spent hours at home on my toy typewriter and later a second-hand Olivetti typewriter. At college I gained 'distinction' in Pitman's Typewriting exams and reached 90 wpm shorthand. No matter how hard I tried my hand and brain would not go any faster during exams.
School had given me the silent message that I wasn't good enough, but college and many, many years of Further Education, helped me believe in myself. I was good enough at the things I enjoyed. Teachers/parents of today, I implore you to encourage your little ones, teenagers/young adults. Find their best subject, skill or passion and praise their enthusiasm, knowledge and achievements. A simple "well done" boosts confidence. Tell them they are 'good enough' and have something special to grow into, improve, make a living with.
I had many office jobs, all of which I enjoyed. In my 50's onwards I retrained and, after years of studying, practice at the Samaritans, CRUSE and other organisations I passed the required exams and became a professional counsellor and supervisor of counsellors. Here, with the encouragement of excellent tutors and course companions, I grew my self-esteem, self-confidence and purpose in life. I took a leap into self-employment and had my own private practice alongside volunteering at a local service. It was the highlight of my working career. Such a privilege to be with those bereaved, struggling at work or with relationships etc. With new found skills, I saw others grow, learn about themselves and make changes towards being happier or more able to cope.
On my retirement I did a number of school terms as a playground supervisor. One boy would stop and tell me about insects with great knowledge. I told him he was the next Chris Packham from the television and he would smile and go on his way. Then one day he came to me in tears.
"Whatever's the matter?" I asked.
"They are not teaching me what I want to learn about" came the reply.
It squeezes my heart to this day. I knew exactly what he meant. I often wonder how he's getting on in senior school now. I do hope he recognises his strengths and determines to get a career he enjoys.
You may think that children having excellent knowledge about the makes of cars or types of dinosaurs are irrelevant to the curriculum; that being able to sing or dance is not an attribute to obtaining good marks in key subjects for the OFSTED report, but each child is unique with its own future to create from what it is good at. My brother was an avid stamp collector as a child. After working in a bank and travel agents he finally took the plunge to become a stamp dealer. It has served him very well.
Looking back I wonder where I would be if that English teacher hadn't moved me up a class; if I'd gone to college to do creative writing or journalism; I could have been a newspaper or magazine writer. And it wouldn't have taken all these decades to write a book. I could have done better.
However, my motto of perseverance pays off give this blog a happy ending. I AM A WRITER. I AM AN AUTHOR. I have achieved my dream. My love of books and children have come together. My teachers have been those who have written books. People I have met and learned from, both on courses and by reading their works, have inspired me. Authors I've met have been encouraging and SHOW me 'all things are possible'.
'NEVER give up hope' is also a mantra I have. ONE DAY, before I'm too old, I hope to be an author of a novel or two and a few more children's books.
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