Tag Archives: Education

Daily Prompt; The New School

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You get to redesign school as we know it from the ground up. Will you do away with reading, writing, and arithmetic? What skills and knowledge will your school focus on imparting to young minds?

Photographers, artists, poets: show us SKILLED.

Unfortunately in the ending year of 2013, I would have to take away the basics that we learned as a child from being long courses of all year to cutting them in half. The reason being is there is too many other things that youngsters need to be learning.

You see, there are many brilliant and outstanding youth today, but there are also many lost souls, tossed from house to house. Some have never been taught manners, respect or how to love another human being for just simply being human.

Today when we mention love, somewhere sex has been connected to that, and what was once a beautiful way to show someone special how much you loved them; now it has turned into a nasty, pornographic, giggling at the computer screen side-show.

Some youth go strictly after the weak, fragile and lonely ones. They never learned that word respect. Just because they know how to possibly spell it, doesn’t mean they know the definition of it.

Then there is youth who are working so very hard with one or even more part-time jobs, striving to help pay their college education fees. But then there are others who don’t understand the dollar. Some never get that the real way to get money is to work. There are those who believe the cheating way to get money is to rob.

I guess drugs have been around for years. I know they were present when I was in high school. But for me, there was pretty much the fear of God placed in me by my parents  that I better never get into drugs.

Now it seems the key is to continually keep finding cheap ways to get  thrills. But this has a price included, which may have the word death in it.

So for me, there would still be reading, writing and arithmetic, but I would include at least half the year if not a little more balancing checkbooks. Budgeting classes would be almost as high of a priority as reading. Learning what percentages to save back from a paycheck in order to buy groceries, pay rents, gas, food and clothing. Training for work would not only include college prep classes. It would also include the regular jobs, how to look and represent yourself for a check-out job, or maybe a restaurant job. How to act and work in order to move up in the job.

Another class would be called, The You Inside. This class would be all about how to respect yourself. Teaching youth that they are worthy of existing here on earth. This classroom would have many mirrors in it, full length mirrors. Students would have to stand in front of them and look at themselves repeating positive and motivational sentences that refer to themselves as a person.

I feel today there is much lacking in the learning department. A lot of this is learned in the very young years, but when the home life is not the best or even suitable, many children are not taught that they have the right to be who they want.

In my area, schools are taught to preach about college. Not everyone is going to college. So many youth don’t even know what they want, but it pays the bills for these colleges getting all types in. But the drop out rates are pretty staggering.

So let’s get involved with each and every student. Let’s make sure that the poor as well as the wealthy kids are receiving a chance to be someone they are proud of, no matter what or where they came from. After all, we all started with nothing in the beginning. We all came here the same way. We all arrived with a clean slate. I say, let’s help every single human get the best chance in school to be the best they can be, no matter what.fancy rabbitFox-animals-5370160-620-476ANIMAL RACOON

Daily Prompt; Learning Style

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What’s your learning style? Do you prefer learning in a group and in an interactive setting? Or one-on-one? Do you retain information best through lectures, or visuals, or simply by reading books?

Photographers, artists, poets: show us LEARNING.

This is one of the most difficult areas in my learning days. When I was in college, I would do the same thing as others. Highlight in my books, take notes, try to get involved with answers and questions.

I would go home in the evenings and stick my nose in the books. Ignoring everything in the house, seeing only black and white and yellow highlights. I made good grades. In fact I usually got straight A’s, but wow, did I have to cram and put most of my waking hours into those grades.

When I got divorced I bought a computer desk.desk I lugged it to the car and hoisted it into the trunk. I drove home. Huffed and puffed carrying it into the house.

I laid every board out, every screw and bolt. I got the needed tools. All was in place. Next I read the directions. Then I reread the directions.

I looked at the photos and then read the words again. I glanced at the pieces. I started remembering back to when I was in college and I learned I was not a learner by lectures, writing notes, cramming or anything else.

I was a hand’s on learner. I learned by doing. I tossed the paper aside and pulled up my big girl  pants and one by one I put the desk together. It was like putting puzzles together as a kid.

Trying a piece that looked like it may fit. Maybe having to exchange it for another piece. It took me probably twice as long as my ex would have taken, but hey, I did it. Soon I was smiling, so proud that I had a computer desk. Standing firm and strong, my computer sitting atop. I sat down and rubbed my hands along the nice, smooth wood and began typing.

Daily Prompt; We Can Be Taught

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What makes a teacher great?

Photographers, artists, poets: show us GREATNESS.

I was in the third grade. I was a chatterbox. When I look back at past report cards for elementary grades I can see all the boxes checked for talking too much. I couldn’t help it I guess. I had lots to say.

Now that I am much older I know that even back then I was craving what I was lacking at  home. I needed to be validated. I wanted to be noticed. I suppose that even now I still have some of those feelings that will pop up now and then.

My teacher, was a short, plump woman, who wore stockings and pumps and a print dress every single day. Her hair was orange/red. She had more freckles on her face and arms than anyone I had ever known at that time. When she smiled around her eyes formed wrinkles and she reminded me back then of Mrs. Clause with those tiny eyes that danced.

She moved me several times for talking. I sat in the front rows. I was moved to the back rows. I can remember standing out in the hall a couple of times. I also tattled. I think people tattle for attention.tattle tails Tattling draws attention. Whether good or bad we need it, we think.

She was a strict teacher and molded me into what I am today.

I didn’t like her much at the time, but she helped me to start the process that I was worthy. She helped me see that bad attention was not the only choice I had in drawing others to me.

For the lack of confidence part, I had to teach myself through tough lessons in life. Good friends sitting with me and talking. Tears being poured, and accepting. Yes, this is the toughest teaching job of all. Accepting myself for who I am.

I am never going to be any other than who I am. The TV media can destroy us. It makes us ponder on what else is out there. Why can’t I look or talk, or have what she/he has. The bottom line is God made me who I am for a reason. I am no one special in the outer world. But I am a writer, a good mother, and a woman who has a right to stand here living on this land.

Picture it & Write/ Ermilia

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Jon felt his life was just putting too much pressure on him. He seemed to believe that he didn’t have a life. Pieces of his soul had been ripped and torn; given to others. Every time he tried to connect a piece of the puzzle back together the goal was broken.

He sat now looking down. Using the height of magnitude he was able to see where it started. His parents owned a business. He became their gopher boy. Running errands, fixing meals, taking care of baby sister.

In between these jobs he tried to go to school. Concentrating on learning was replaced by what he had waiting for him at home to complete. He wanted good grades. He dreamed of going to college. He could taste the success of becoming a doctor.

But by the time he finished instructions left for him he was too tired to study. He would fall asleep after his parents came home. He would wake up, drool lying on the pages of his book.

As time progressed and he wasn’t needed for a sitter so much his rules were changed from sitter to driver. He learned about money. He paid bills, he budgeted his parents checkbooks.

One time he even had to barter with the electric company because his parents had let the bill slip by and he was the one who had to make arrangements to get it turned back on.

His gift to learn was his key to him keeping good grades. When his counselor called him in and offered him applications for colleges he quickly grabbed them. When he got home and he had the little bit of time to call his own, he filled them out. The next day he was back in the school office turning his pages in.

When the news came that he had been accepted his heart jumped out of his body. Genuine smiles were seen in each class. He was going to be a doctor. But how was he going to get a way? How was he going to claim his right to live as his own?

When he went to bed each night, he made the time to pray. He prayed for a way to escape. He needed space. Night after night the ritual went on.

The day came. It was graduation day. He walked proudly through the line accepting his diploma when his name was called. He looked out over the crowd hoping to see the glow from his parents’ but only his mother had made time to attend. Even his sister had not made it a priority to show up.

That night holding his diploma in his hand he realized that he had one week before it was time to leave. A new life was holding the doors open for him. His name was on the list. Tugs were pulling at his heart. He needed, no he wanted and desired this opportunity more than anything in life.

When he fell asleep he had a dream. He was sitting below the heavens. Placed on a cloud of success with his name on it he looked over his life and at the lessons he had learned. Determination and not giving up were his biggest teachers.

Now he turned a way. He looked towards the doors being held open for him and the cloud steered him in through the open ways of a bigger and better life. The world was his and he was not going to let it pass him by. He was on his way to becoming a doctor.pictureitandwrite2copy-1

man-sitting-on-a-cloud

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Daily Prompt; Fifteen Credits

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Another school semester will soon begin. If you’re in school, are you looking forward to starting classes? If you’re out of school, what do you miss about it — or are you glad those days are over?

Photographers, artists, poets: show us LEARNING.

I never knew how good I had it. Even getting up at the crack of dawn to catch a bus. The only plan back then was to dress cool and see my friends on the big yellow bus.school-bus

I did plenty of work back in the days getting myself just right for the grand entrance of school.

The night before I took a nice smell-good shower. I washed my hair and rolled it up on giant rollers.rollers

I would lay my clothes out after rolling my hair and lay them across my desk chair.

I slept with the dryer on my hair. I loved the hum of the motor and lulled myself to dream land. I think this is why I need a fan 365 days a year now. It is difficult turning it on low because the motor is too soft but I could not hear Al if I turned it up full speed as I wish. Maybe this is why I am always so tired, I don’t sleep well anymore.fan

I liked boys better than school grades, although I didn’t do bad in school; but I could have had mainly A’s if I would have worked a tad harder.report card

That was it pretty much for me. My mind didn’t broaden out like it should have. It followed the path, the smooth one, the one that led to marriage.beating heartwedding dress

What was the hurry for heaven’s sakes? It only ended up in divorce.

Since I have been an adult I have taken classes for CNA. I am also a licensed Pharmacy Technician. I  have also been to school twice for my Nursing degree.

Both times I had to drop out because of Al’s health. I always thought I would go back. I would like to go back again some day.

I could sit here and go on with should have’s and could have’s but what good would it do. Those chapters are closed. Do I miss my school days? Yes, to a point. The freedom of thinking. The fun and laughter I shared. The phone ringing off the hook.

But alas, I have them all tucked neatly in my memory box. I take them out and sort through them sometimes but they tend to make me a little sad. One fear I have that I can’t shake is getting older and dying. Going back to school days reminds me I am getting up there in age.

I will admit that going through the chapter of nearing death with Al has opened my eyes and helped me to see that heaven is all that it is said to be. Tranquil, calming, all-healing, and beautiful. How can I fear that?pearly gates

Now for you younger ones that are in school, or technical schools here is a piece of advice from the granny era.

Have fun, in fact have a blast, but study hard, learn all you can. Be somebody. Don’t wait for someone else to make you someone. And remember boys and girls, life ticks by quicker than you can blink your eye. And keep watch on that school room door techies, because one day I am going to be walking through that door and sitting my butt right down next to you. I will get that nursing diploma.NURSE JACKIE

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