My children went to Detroit Public Schools. There are not many good teachers there.
I realized one day that one of my sons could not read.
Of course I went to visit his teacher the next day. My son was 7 years old. And he could not read.
I talked to the teacher for quite a while. She told me that she was afraid of my son. If she would announce that it was time for the class to get out their workbooks he would just cross his arms and stare at her.
I said, " He is 7 years old. Tell him to take out his workbook!"
My children were taught to mind adults. However like all children if they see a weakness they will exploit it.
At the end of our meeting I asked if there was an extra reading book that I could take home. I would work with him at home. She was happy to give me one.
Now I love to learn. It comes easily to me. But I am not meant to be a teacher. The patience needed is not in me. But I wanted my children to be educated so we went to work.
Then the following week my son came home with an armload of books. I was expected to teach every subject his grade was learning. Back to the school I went.
This time I spoke to the principal. I explained that I wanted to help with his reading but his teacher was being paid to teach. I could not be responsible for the rest.
He explained that the teacher was going through a nasty divorce. So she takes it to work and does not have to do a good job because she cannot control her feelings?
I was talking to my neighbor later and venting my frustration. She informed me that her daughter had the same teacher a few years earlier. Her divorce had been final at least 10 years ago.
So I taught my son to read. As a matter of fact I had to teach all of my children to read. They are all very intelligent so it was not difficult.
I am happy to say that they are voracious readers today. No thanks to that 2nd grade teacher and all the others.
I once read to my sons at bedtime, weaving stories for them. Today, I tell their echoes—my own spun variants—to my granddaughters.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, I even sing the stories to them, letting the melodies carry the tales a little farther.
That is the way children begin to learn. I also sang, read, and told stories beginning when they were babies. Then having them join me in imaginative stories was fun. A good imagination is a sign of intelligence. You are obviously a good grandfather.
DeleteI read books to my son's 4th grade class. The children shocked me at how poorly they could read. I noticed that they seemed surprised at me telling them to read, not for school homework but for pleasure. You could see it had never occurred to them.
ReplyDeleteIt is so sad that reading for pleasure is not encouraged any more. If they were only made to see that reading can transport you to other places and other times. You become a part of the story. You can learn more about whatever interests you and maybe even take that a little further. I am excited just writing about it.
DeleteWow! I can't imagine how that teacher kept her job.
ReplyDeleteMy explanation is laziness of the administration. The principal made excuses for her. And it goes on up from there.
Delete