My how times change. Older folks said this in past years,
but I never thought that I’d utter those words. In my observations, the changes
that surprise me deal with education.
Not so long ago, teachers began to require that students
complete summer reading assignments. They were also required to produce papers
on those books. We who were high school students in the last century scoff at
that kind of requirement. We walked out the doors of school on the last day of
the term and gave little, if any, thoughts of spending summer time completing a
school assignment. The
The ending of teaching cursive writing is a shock. Those of
us who are old remember the beginnings of learning to write our letters. For
hours, we traced them and then tried to correctly construct them
In what seemed to be the blink of an eye, teachers demanded
that we learn a new style of writing. Gone were the straight- line letters;
they were replaced with all sorts of curves and loops in letters. Cursive
writing tried our patience and led to stress as we continued to make mistakes. Eventually,
all of us created at least acceptable cursive writing. It was our individual
style, but the letters met the requirements of the teacher.
In composition classes, I demanded that all students use
cursive writing. I placed the ABC’s in cursive above the board and had students
write them five times at the beginning of each class. Students complained but
complied. They eventually became skilled in handwriting that was readable.
Another thing that amazes me is the use of the computer.
Teachers post homework assignments on a program called Canvas. Students can
complete their work and then submit it to the teacher on the same program.
Teachers can also post notes and instructional material so that students who
miss school can easily stay current in work or can make up missing assignments.
Teachers also use technology to send messages on phones or
computers. They can explain
These days, folks don’t need to listen to the radio or
television to discover whether or not schools are closed for inclement weather.
The system is able to call interested individuals with that information. The
only problem that still exists is the decision-making process that occurs in
the system’s administrative offices on the subject.
School seems too difficult these days. Yes, we have plenty
of folks who sit in offices and determine what is necessary for students. I’m a
firm believer in face-to-face contact with students and parents. I also am sure
that the more a student handwrites material, the better he recalls it. Summer
work puts school in the same boat as athletics: both are becoming year-round
things that wear down young people. Maybe a few old practices might improve the
situation without endangering the education of children. It’s a tough world out
there. Let’s let kids be kids for just a while.
