I just reread 'Karen' a book of my mothers about a family with a Cerebral Palsied* child. The dates are in the 1940's so of course many things have changed, but I wonder by how much.
One of the most striking comments of prejudice in the book was from legislators regarding education As the mother struggled to get funding for education of CP kids she was told in many ways "Why teach them they can never be 'normal' they will never be able to return the money in taxes"...
Is that the only aim of education to turn out 'normal' working adults?
There is a theory that public school is merely a tool of the government to turn out 'productive taxpayers'. I do not hold that all legislators and or educators are as twisted as all that, but it is an argument harder to refute with thoughtless comments like that around.
I personally am not as interested in turning my kids into tax payers as I am in watching them grow and learn, it is a wonderful thing to hear my son tell me some space or animal factoid ...That is why I share this wonderful world with him...for the pure joy of watching him accomplish what he wants.
The joy of watching a child take their first step, is the same kind of joy as you watch them write their name, or read a word, or create a story, or sing a song, or any skill.
And the joy of knowing that a certain four legged animal is a dog and says 'woof' is the same as the joy of knowing what the 8 planets are (and which got demoted) Or where Guatemala is or how to work a complex equation, or any factoid....
Or is it just me? Am I member of a small group that loves watching the pride children take in their own accomplishments? Is it really only a means to an end for most? Is there no reason to learn beyond a bigger paycheck?
I hope not, I know my children take delight in learning, and in watching others learn (and in teaching) I hope that joy never leaves them, and I hope they can find a way to spread it to friends and neighbors. I certainly have had no luck at it myself.
*
less technical, more friendl info on CP
September 1st, 2007 at 11:03 pm 1188687835
You know that delight you refer to. You can be sure I felt it at that moment.
September 2nd, 2007 at 01:34 pm 1188740094
September 2nd, 2007 at 05:10 pm 1188753007
PrincessPerky, I don't know if I have the words to express how incredible it was to be able to "be there" with my son through so much learning.
Because of the recent talk here about homeschooling, I pulled out our old homeschool logs. It was such a nostalgic delight to see those old notes, even though what he did and learned was barely represented in these logs the state law required us to keep.
He's off to a public school now-- a state university where he studies physics. This, too, is wonderful. The young man has stars in his eyes when he talks about how much he loves physics. Seeing those stars makes me very happy! I can clearly and dearly remember so many little childhood moments that led him along this path. I think of the saying, "To thine own self be true," and how home education allowed him to deeply seek, develop, and follow himself in a way that might not have been otherwise quitely so likely. He was able to be true to himself from day one. Homeschooling was very rich for both him and his mom & dad.
September 2nd, 2007 at 11:11 pm 1188774662
(I also volunteered that more windows meant more money spent on heating the home in the winter since a lot of heat got lost that way. This was long before insulated double pane windows.)
September 3rd, 2007 at 04:27 pm 1188836824
Joan glad to hear of your son, I love stories like that.
Nana, thanks for the update on Karen.
September 3rd, 2007 at 09:46 pm 1188856012
September 3rd, 2007 at 11:27 pm 1188862063
September 4th, 2007 at 01:06 am 1188867993