Mom Is Teaching

1.  Where were you educated? I was educated in the public school system.  However, I must add that I attended the best academic high school in our area for that time period.  I can’t say that this school has maintained these standards though.  However, I had the opportunity to take college-prep classes in grades 9 - 12 which were basically taught on a little higher level as well as the option of taking AP Calculus.  I did take the calculus class but I did not take the exam because I knew I wasn’t prepared for it.

2.  Regardless of where, who did the majority

of the teaching?  I agree with most everyone here that the teachers at the school did the majority of my teaching academics but that my parents were responsible for the manners and morals portion.  However, I was fortunate enough to go to a very small school (normally in the range of 100 kids in 9 grades and about 18 in my grade) and because of this, lots of manners, morals and acceptable behaviors were taught and learned just by the nature of the numbers.

3.  Were you a good student? I was a very good student.  I finished extremely high in my high school class and in elementary school I was always the top of my class.  I never had behavior issues either except the one I’ve already mentioned where I was kissing under the mistletoe in seventh grade.  I didn’t talk in class when the teacher said “no talking”, I didn’t do anything except exactly what the teacher told me to do.  I always did my homework and turned it in on time or early.  I walked the straight and narrow (there’s a joke coming about that later, keep reading)

4.  Was one type of school chosen over another

for a particular reason? The only choice we had was public schools so obviously that’s where I went.  My father was a public school teacher and at the time he would have never considered any other type of education to be an option.  I do think if he were now and could afford for me to attend the only private school available in our area, he would try to go that route.  At the time I went to public school in this area, the schools were decent.  Alabama was still at the bottom of the totem pole as far as other states compared but for our area, public schools were the best options. And, as for high school?  I had three options, no zoning rules or anything here at that time (even now they aren’t enforced).  I chose the high school that sported the best academic reputation.

5.  Will you educate your children in the same

way?  Thus far my children are/will be educated in the public system.  We are fortunate that we live in an area with one of the top elementary schools in the state.  Although many things go on in this school that I don’t agree with (see all my homework posts), for now, it is the best option.  The only private school option is extremely expensive and almost 40 miles one way.  I am open to homeschooling if I find that it is necessary.  I already have my eyes set on a couple of teachers in the grades above my son’s and if for any reason we end up in the room with a certain couple of teachers and I can’t get him moved, we will homeschool without even thinking twice.  When you spend a lot of time in the school building, teachers start to accept you and let their guard down and you see behavior from teachers that you might not see other wise.  I hate to get specific here because I don’t know who is reading, so let me just leave it at that, mmmmkay?

6.  Do you think it was appropriate for you?  It was the only choice and it was very appropriate.  I was a socialite, I loved school, I was begging to learn and in my world that was where you went to learn…and a great benefit of that was socializing.

7.  How much time (on average) each day

(including Saturday and Sunday) did you put

into school work? I would say on average, in the four years, I probably averaged less then 2 hours per night and no more than 2 hours per weekend. I can’t wait until you read my cousin’s answer to this, you will probably be in shock.

8.  What kind of student were you?  Good,

Average, Above Average, Failing  I was definitely an above average student. I finished in top 10% of my class.  But, also consider that my graduating class had over 120 kids in ninth grade but only graduated 87.  Do with that what you want.  I do want to add that as a college student, I was barely average.  I hated it, I was out of my element and I absolutely abhorred it.  Graduate school was much better but mainly because I could do it online.  I hate lectures, hate them.  I’ve always hated them.  My high school teachers didn’t teach “lecture” style and when I got to community college, I already knew that I couldn’t stand it.  It was only better once I got to graduate school and could do my work at my own pace.

9.  Did you graduate high school?  Yes, top 10% of my class.

10.  Did you go to college or are you in college

now?  Yes, I graduated, but I won’t be going back I don’t think, ever.  I have a B.S. in Education and a Masters in Counseling.  I’m done!

11.  Do you think your high school education

prepared or is preparing you for college?  For the most part, it did prepare me for community college.  But, after that, no.  I’ve mentioned this before but for the newbies, I was always a teacher’s pet.  My father was a teacher and well-known.  Teachers gave me the benefit of the doubt with most everything even when I didn’t need or deserve it. Nothing could have prepared me for undergraduate. I hated it and I can’t think of any way that it could have changed to make it better.  I didn’t have that teacher’s pet quality and that might have made some difference but I don’t think so.

12.  Did you take part in extra-curricular

activities?  Yes, you name it, if they let me in, I got in it.  Band, volleyball, softball, Beta Club activities, etc

13.  Generally speaking, did you enjoy school? I loved high school, I’ve already mentioned that.  I hated undergraduate and I love graduate….maybe it was just the time in my life that made those areas what they were and not the education necessarily.

14.  What would you change about your

education? I can’t think of anything that I would have changed about high school.  I really did enjoy it.  Maybe if I had gone to an undergrad school where I lived on campus and had the opportunity to live on campus and socialize, I might have enjoyed it more. 

15.  Regardless of who did your teaching, were

your parents adequately educated to

teach/tutor you?  If yes, why do you think

this?  If not, why not?  I agree whole-heartedly with those who said, “yes but they didn’t have the temperament”.  My mom would have struggled in the higher grades but for the most part, both of them were capable of educating me at home if that had been an option.

The joke about me walking the straight and narrow path???? My mom has been quoted on many occasions as saying, “she was a great kid until she turned 22 and it’s been down hill since then”.  I really was a good kid, but as an adult, whew, I’ve apparently strained everyone’s last nerve.