Seen written on the rear window of a Suburban automobile: You lied to me. My children are NOT a joy to teach.
The coronavirus lock down has had some unexpected side effects. In our family, I have noticed a change in our grandchildren, ages 4 and 6. What is different? They have gotten to know their neighborhood kids. Little ones through teenagers are now in the street, socializing with each other. My granddaughter, who previously didn’t give a flip about her bicycle, now races down the street with the other kids. I expect the training wheels on both her's and her younger brother's bikes will come off soon. They now have mentors, older kids who show them how to do things, which is so much cooler than mom or dad showing them. Moms are popping up folding chairs at each end of the street acting as monitors and traffic directors while the kids are free-range. The dogs are loosed, too, catching Frisbees and playing together. Childless people hear doorbells ringing and young voices asking, “Can your dog come out with us?” It’s as if the year 1965 is alive and well in the front yard. The only thing missing is a frosty pitcher of Kool-Aid with a smiley face drawn on it.
For some parents the pandemic lock down has come with an unexpected side effect – an awakened look at their children’s education. As an educator, I have always known the difficulty of teaching, and I have great respect for teachers. One of my most aggravating moments concerning teaching came here in Horseshoe Bay. I was standing in line at the Post Office the first week in November, 2007. A local gentleman who I estimate was in his 80s was speaking to a younger acquaintance.
“How’s your daughter?” The older man asked.
“She’s doing great. She’s a school teacher.”
“What a racket!” exclaimed the older man. “Work a few hours a day and off all summer. Can’t believe they get paid for doing it!”
Our Postmistress, Jane, looked over her glasses at me and saw me glaring at the man with my teeth clenched, jaw locked. She nodded her head back and forth as if to say, “Don’t hit him,” because she must have been reading my mind. After I mailed my Christmas gift to our son, who was then stationed in the Middle East, I drove home, slammed the garage door, and screamed to Sky King, “I can’t believe people can be so stupid! Teaching school is one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever done, right behind hauling hay.” He didn’t know what caused this reaction, but wisely let me cool down before asking what happened.
Another unexpected upside to the corona pandemic is people have embraced cooking by necessity. How do I know? Yeast is always out of stock when I look for it. Cooking is science (acids, bases, binders), math (fractions, ounces, grams, temperature), and sensation (smell, taste, presentation). Coronacated children have many new skills and having meals as a family is an added plus. The lady in the Suburban mentioned above now knows how hard it is to teach. Hopefully, both parents and students have a renewed appreciation for school.
