School is my enemy. Don’t ever ask me to attend a class or a lecture or a meeting or a seminar.
A few years ago I actually got in trouble because I was forced to attend a “seminar” for my work and I made a stink. I took a drawing pad. I drew pictures. Even my “friends” at work were mad at me and said I behaved unprofessionally.
I disagree. School is just not for me.
Even on ADD pills which I have needed my entire life but only just started, I still can’t pay attention. I don’t care what they have to say at the seminars, the classes and the lectures. It’s simply not how I learn. I need visuals. And, contrary to my being a word-person, I also can’t read anything in order to learn. I need someone to just give me the gist and then sit with me while I learn whatever it is I’m needing to learn in real life, in real time. i learn by DOING.
I had to attend a meeting yesterday. I got six pages of vacation writing done, so it wasn’t a total loss. The thing is, is it’s not just that I can’t pay attention, I actually get mad at it. At meetings. At seminars. At lectures. At school. I feel indignant when my attendance is required and I will get downright pissed off because of it.
Leave me alone school. Leave me alone lectures. Leave me alone seminars. Just tell me what I need to know, show me how it works and we can be done with it. All this blah blah blah blah blah is such a waste of my time. And I shouldn’t be forced to “learn” in the way that works for others but not for me.
For instance: I want to learn to play the piano. I won’t take a class, no way. What I will do however, is sit down with my friend and listen to her instructions while at the piano and I will be happy to learn that way.
There is no other way.
I can’t believe I ever graduated from high school (and it was by the skin of my chinny chin chin).
"Wrong, Guess again!
Wrong, Guess again!
If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding.
How can you have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat?
You! Yes, you behind the bikesheds, stand still laddie!"
-roger waters
5 comments:
"What I will do however, is sit down with my friend and listen to her instructions while at the piano and I will be happy to learn that way."
No need to fear; that's what a piano lesson is. OK, the teacher may not be a friend at first, but it's certainly someone you're compatible with. You wouldn't take lessons from someone you're not comfortable with.
You're probably more than 30 years too old for a piano class, that is, a room full of toddlers learning Suzuki piano. Maybe they have adult Suzuki classes. But you certainly would not benefit from them.
To get back to your original point, it's clear to most educators now that people learn in different ways. Folks like you & me & Darcey grew up and some of us went into the field of education and a lot has changed since we were in school. School has changed. At least, the ones with money have.
But you were talking about something more than accommodating different ways of learning. You described becoming angry when forced into a group learning situation. You find it intolerable, even if your job depended on it. That seems worth further exploration. You enjoy being in groups (parties, concerts, etc.). And you enjoy learning new things. What happens when these two things combine that repels you so?
I agree with you, school sucks. I started a graduate degree while I was working at Johns Hopkins because it was free. I thought, why not? But a few agonizing weeks into it, I said to myself "Why am I doing this? I wanna get out of here. I want this to stop."
Luckily, I was an adult and free to make that choice. Clearly, a more school was not the right thing for me. So I understand how you feel. But there are some subjects that are better suited to lectures than individual instruction, like history and science. And a lecture can be a lot of fun if the speaker is good. Like listening to Ira Glass or Sarah Vowell go off on a topic.
Maybe it's the pressure of the expectation of learning that drives us up a wall? What right do these teachers have to expect that we will learn something just because they talk about it here in front of everybody? Maybe it's the pressure of the folks in the room, who obviously know and or care about whatever the hell the teacher is talking about.
In any case, I agree that school is not fun. Nick also agrees, for better or for worse.
i really appreciate all this thought, alien. it's true, i do feel pressure that is beyond normal (thanks dad for always making me cry when showing me how to do something) when learning anything.
i just feel lumped in with kindergartners and grad students and 3rd graders all at once. i don't know which one i am, but i despise the generality of it.
good food for thought.
oh, guy just pointed out that i enjoyed the ann druyen speak on the subject of the cosmos and her husband carl sagan who i adore...i did however never finish listening to all of it...in fact, maybe lasted only 10 minutes.
ADD? yeah. probably. even though i take maximum meds for it...i think i just don't like being forced to sit still like i was in church for 17 years, 3x a week. i shake my leg, my back hurts, i get tired, i nod out...etc.
thanks, my friend.
For me it always made a difference WHO the teacher was, and how they taught. Peter Ainslie is one of the very few teachers I actually remember enjoying learning from (and maybe two others in college). He was one of the few who actually made learning interesting through his storytelling. He wove stories into his lessons, and I learned more from him about grammar and writing than anyone since. I remember getting good grades from him, and then getting a D in P.E. from that asshole/cokehead Mr. Zaidel. Remember him Lou? So that being said, I'm probably stuck at high-school level English. Oh well, can't win 'em all.
i agree about ainslie. i didn't remember mr. zaidel until you said his name. how weird.
ainslie is one of the five good teachers i had in 15 years of school. i guess is pretty lucky? is that right?
1. christianson
2. ainslie
3. young
4. farber
nope. only four teachers i learned anything from.
This sounds a lot like how our boy describes school. Poor little guy.
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