Mental Matters
By Jennifer Goble
I so enjoyed Delinda Korrey’s article (8-21-18) titled School is Cool. Her recollections of loving all aspects of school, plus me sending one granddaughter off to her first year of college and watching two grandsons start kindergarten and preschool, conjured up my own memories.
My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Schmidt, after an class art project, said, “You are a very good cutter!” I don’t know why I remember that moment, but I know I sat a little straighter.
In the fourth grade, my oldest sister went to college and I cried hysterically. In my concrete mind, I thought I would never see her again. From our shared room she packed all her things and left. I thought she died.
In the fifth grade, the band instructor sent a note home to my mother stating, “I don’t think Jennifer will ever be a clarinet player.” (All my older sisters played the clarinet.) I felt inadequate, but deep down, I was relieved, because I didn’t like playing the reeded instrument.
In the sixth grade, Marlene held hands with Stanley on the playground. In the seventh grade, Mrs Jackson bragged about my embroidered peacock pillow cases, and Mrs. Foree, the math teacher, twisted my ear and hit my hand with the edge of a ruler. Ouch! I don’t remember what I did to displease her.
I blame the classroom setup for my adult incompetence in reading maps. If the top of the map was north, why wasn’t the front of my desk facing the north windows? In the classroom, east was north, north was west, west was south, etc. How’s a kid to comprehend?
High school was a social event. I paid attention to people; who said what, when, and why. Memories are full of positive accolades – none of which are academic. School was fun.
My freshman year of college was a vertical learning curve about life, family, true friends, and discrepancies in social class.
Interviewing women for my dissertation who had only sisters and no brothers is the strongest memory of my Doctoral degree. They all lived in northeast Colorado and their stories remain with me today. I also remember my computer crashing along with all my files. It made me appreciate those before me who didn’t have a computer, and typed their research on a typewriter.
Yes, school is cool! My memories, although varied from Delinda’s, contributed a large part to who I am today.
Good and bad, how did school help mold YOU?
Until the next time: Live while you live.
Jennifer Goble, Ph.D., LPC, is the author of “My Clients…My Teachers,” and the blogger and writer of Rural Women Stories: www.ruralwomenstories.com.
The post Yes, school IS cool! appeared first on South Platte Sentinel.
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Your comment in regards to a teacher telling you that you were “a good cutter,” brought to mind a comment that a college art professor made to me. This was an art class that home economics majors were required to take because of the color theory which was covered in the class. However, we also had to do some drawing – a bird was what I remember. I did what I thought to be my best, and acceptable but the prof promptly told me that it was obvious that I had never done any drawing – hadn’t had an art class. I don’t know that I said anything in reply to him but what came to mind was to ask an art major, who was from Limon, what he had in art class when in elementary school at Agate that was more than color, cut and paste. He told me that was exactly what they did for art class. I mention this as the Limon person is Bob Coonts, who is internationally known for his art, and he was a prized student of the CSU prof who made me feel worthless. To me, Bob had a talent for art, and it came naturally to him. I was not born gifted with that talent.
Lois, it is so true that a teachers comments can build us up or tear us down. I don’t know if they know the power of therir words. I had the pleasure of meeting Bob Coonts at the Scottsdale Art Expo several years ago. He truly is an accomplished artist and very pleasant also. I remember telling my sister Zella about meeting him and she too knew him from Ft. Collins and CSU. Small world, and getting smaller:)