During these crazy times I know that many parents are doing their very best to “home-school” their kids. Many homes will have traditional school supplies like pencils, paper, crayons, and paints on hand and, for those with the technology, there are lesson ideas and curriculum posted on-line. Other great learning resources such as kitchens, gardens, and families eating dinner together are often available and shouldn’t be overlooked.

My worry is that parents will think that they have to set up an environment that mimics what they remember about school… whether it was good or bad. “One-size fits all” isn’t a good thing.

By far the most important ingredient for learning is the relationship between teachers and their students. That part can’t be forgotten at home either. Being boring and unreasonably “strict” are no longer considered acceptable strategies in most schools. For example, talking louder (i.e. yelling) doesn’t make learning happen faster. In fact, it’s quite a bit like trying to steer a car with the horn.

Ultimately, we are ALL teachers at some point in our lives. What follows is some advice from one of the best:

Deb started working on her Master’s Degree in about 2001. One of her assignments was to research positive school experiences from years gone by. She got the idea to interview my dad during one of his visits.

Recently, we found the almost-twenty-year-old cassette tape of their conversation. Luckily, we also found an old “ghetto-blaster” that would play it.

We listened to Dad talk about going to school for the first time in June of 1939 just to learn some English. He was 7 and, at that point, spoke only Norwegian. He also explained why there was an “ice house” in the school yard. He said, “We were primitive. Really primitive…” but you can almost hear the smile on his face as he says it.

The lesson for us all came when Deb asked him about what made someone a “good” teacher. He spoke of a young teacher who had a good personality that made her “fit in”. In his next breath he talked about an “old teacher” who he said had no personality. “I don’t know what she had… I don’t even think she had teeth. I think that’s why she didn’t smile. She didn’t have teeth.”  You can listen to Dad by clicking on the picture below:

So… the advice from my dad for teachers (and remember, we are ALL teachers!): Have a good personality, fit in, and keep a smile on your face.

Pretty sound advice, I think.

 

Post Script:

One year ago today I flew to Edmonton, rented a car and drove to Camrose to see Dad in the hospital. He had been admitted the night before and was in dire straits. He was hooked up to a high-powered ventilator. I spent the next five nights with him before he passed away peacefully on April 6. By then just about everyone was in the room to say goodbye.

This terrible virus we are now all dealing with doesn’t allow families to say good-bye like we were able to. That breaks my heart. It makes me appreciate even more that we were able to talk with, sing to, and hold hands with Dad during his final hours.

Please stay home if you can. Don’t be a rebel to prove how tough you are. Remember… even “heroes” like John Wayne and Tom Cruise use stuntmen and Superman came from a comic book.

The real heroes are the caregivers and essential service workers who are still on the job for our sakes. A heartfelt thank-you from a distance.