School Daze

Ah! Autumn!

I love school. To this day, I love stepping on to a campus – any campus. Grade schools. High schools. Colleges! The aromas of autumn and cafeteria spin me back to those days of learning. Armed with a new batch of pencils, it was a time to reunite with classmates after summer break and show off my new roller skating jeans. Not everyone had roller-skating jeans.

My parents had a sneaky way of instilling my love of learning. They loved to quiz me on news and topics I was oblivious to. Eventually, I grew tired of being dumb. So I convinced myself to study harder and read stuff beyond my Nancy Drew mysteries. Learning paid off of me. And there's one thing I know for sure: I want it to pay off for my kids.

This has not been a problem for my daughter who is naturally-inquisitive. I've never had to push her to study. As a matter of fact, she found my homework assistance detrimental to her grades. (I offered to help with a TAG English assignment once. Apparently, it was one of the worst grades she got that semester.)

My son is a different story. Not only would he prefer to be doing just about anything else in the world than study, but he believes there's absolutely nothing wrong with a B. And I agree. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a B, as long is it's someone else's grade. I'm only kidding. Sort of.

To be fair, Cole is doing well in school this year. (So far!) Some of this has to do with the fact that he's beginning to realize college is around the corner. Some of this has to do with the development of his teenage brain. Mostly, I think, it's because he's not obsessed with any particular girl right now.

There's been a learning curve for me on this whole business of "raising your son to take school seriously." But here are two actions I have found to be somewhat helpful:

• I never assume he has studied for a test, even if he says he did. 
• I push and push and push him to explain concepts to me. Within 30 seconds I can tell whether he understands what he's talking about. It's not just about memorization anymore.

A few years ago Cole told that he received an A on a test. My response was, "See Cole! Doesn't it feel  great to get that good grade? It's kind of like when you get a goal in soccer!" He quickly retorted with a snort. "No, Mom. It's nothing like getting a goal in soccer." He went on to explain that the first thing he thinks about when he gets a good grade is how it will make his mother happy.

Professor Steffie

But I'm sensing a change in Cole. He texted me the other day about getting an A on a science test. And that night? He went on to talk about what he was learning. With great interest, I listened intensely as he droned on about anatomy. I wasn't so intrigued with the content. But I was excited to detect a bit of pride. It might not have been as exhilarating as a soccer goal, but he certainly seemed to feel a sense of achievement. I think a love of learning might be starting to percolate.

I'm teaching Principles of Management at Iowa Western this semester. I didn't decide to do this because I've been sitting around twiddling my thumbs. I decided to do this because I value learning. And as many of you have probably guessed, I like to share my experiences. Maybe, just maybe, I'll help a few others to percolate a love of learning.

Can You PALEASE Sit Still?

Yesterday was open house for our Catholic Schools, so before we made ourselves sick on pancakes we visited each of our children's rooms. As a 7th Grader, Alex wasn't quite as eager to show us her artwork, although her barn quilt design was quite cool as she showed us symbols that describes her values and characteristics. Cole was amazed that Alex was able to locate her desk without having her name labeled on it...

Cole, as a second grader, had plenty of art projects to show us. In one particular piece, he had covertly created a butt. (Teehee.) But I was most interested in where Cole's desk was located...you mothers know why. Was it near the teacher's desk? Was it in front?

When he showed us his desk in the back of the classroom, I smiled with a bit of relief. Then his teacher stepped in to tell us why Cole's desk is in the back.

"It's so he can stand."

"What? So he can what?"

"It's so he can stand during class. Apparently, he can't sit down."

Oh, dear. I've wondered how the kid made it through the day, but figured it must not be a problem since I'd never heard otherwise. There's a reason he only weighs sixty pounds. He never sits still. Can you imagine a teacher back in the 1970's allowing us to stand? As Doug pointed out, maybe to slap you...

Mrs. Robinson explained to us that she realizes that all kids learn differently - some don't learn well while sitting. I was very happy to know that my son's teacher is a bit progressive in her thinking - Cole does well, but how well would he do if he had to sit all day? He might do well...as long as he was learning on a DS.

She did mention that at times, his fidgeting is distracting. Really!! No doubt. I would think a kid standing at the back of the classroom would be distracting and unnerving. Actually, an entire classroom of second graders would probably completely unravel me.

Thank goodness for teachers. Now, do you suppose we should allow Cole to stand up while he's eating? I just lectured him the other day for taking laps around the house between bites. But perhaps he's on to something.