I am a behavior problem.
I never dreamed I would be until I decided to go to school with my 14 year old son, Ammon, who took a few classes at a local charter school along with our daily homeschooling. I was interested in a pilot program class that he was involved in, and the teacher welcomed parents into the classroom, so I decided to go and observe. When I first arrived, I was alert and interested. After 45 minutes, my mind was seriously wandering.
The students who were giving oral reports were ill-prepared and were giving erroneous information speaking in monotone with their eyes glued to their notes. Students were walking to the front of the class next to the reporting student to noisily sharpen their pencils seemingly oblivious to the disturbance they were making. I found myself asking Ammon questions, whispering to him. He finally told me that he couldn’t concentrate well with me talking to him!
Then I started to doodle. I raised my hand and answered questions in an effort to correct the misinformation and possibly change the subject to something more stimulating. I fished in my purse for something to eat. I fidgeted. I tried to engage students sitting by me by making little comments to them. I checked my watch continually. I even felt like making a paper airplane and sending it soaring. Okay, I was over the top. I was definitely being a behavior problem!
That was an “ah-ha!” moment for me! I’m a grandma and I have hopefully matured and gained greater self-control over the years. Here I was—I had only attended an hour of school—and I was going nut-sy. Having to sit still, listen, not talk, not leave my seat, be mentally bored and fatigued . . . well, it proved to be too great a challenge to me! I had to leave, after just one class. I couldn’t stand it! How do they do it all day long?
Children were meant to move and run and build things and use their big muscles. They were meant to have their eager minds fed and their curiosity satisfied. All that sitting, sitting, sitting gets extremely tedious! Dulls their minds, dulls their bodies. Think about what you are requiring your children to do when you consider sending them to school.
Nice reality check for me.
May I recommend:
