please empty your brain below
Just goes to show you how much things have changed, doesn't it? And not only in our schools, but also elsewhere in society. Alas, this change is not all for the better, it seems.

Andrewh | 04.11.09 - 8:37 a.m. | #

and insisted that she give me an out-of-curriculum 'zero' as well

I love it! A profound realisation of the necessity of this vital number bypassed the Romans. It took until the 13th century when the Indians recognised its significance yet DG at the age of five-ish knows how important it is to have it.

Pedantic of Purley | 04.11.09 - 8:44 a.m. | #

beautiful writting...

russ | 04.11.09 - 8:53 a.m. | #

An absolutely wonderful piece DG. Thank you.

NiC | Homepage | 04.11.09 - 8:59 a.m. | #

When I was that age, kids used to be a menace at this time of year setting off jumping jacks in the street. There'd be no hoodies though as that's how my teacher's husband was seriously burned on the neck from a jack that landed on him. Sparklers.....phhhzzzz...we were all given them as they were 'safe'...Ha ha ha ha ha.

Bina | 04.11.09 - 9:38 a.m. | #

I still write my name in the air with my sparkler and its 50 years ago that I started school. We think the grandson at 8 months will need to just watch this year. I wish school was still how it was for us. Thank you for reminding me. My teacher was Mrs Barnes and if you were upset or fell over or something you could sit on her knee until you felt better. Imagine that these days - we'd all be locked up. Gilly. PS Love the blog. I was brought up in St Albans and particularly loved the Lea Valley walk

gilly | 04.11.09 - 1:22 p.m. | #

Lucky you, having such a nice school experience. I started school in 1970 and it was the beginning of eleven years of pretty much unremitting misery (and that was in the bog standard state system). All a matter of luck I guess.

Sarah | Homepage | 04.11.09 - 3:51 p.m. | #

Did you get the yellow "magic" dabbed on your knee if you grazed it in the playground? Administered without the aid of latex gloves and a pile of paperwork?

I'm lucky where I live as I can just throw my kids out of the door to walk alone the 0.75-1.0 mile to their various schools, even from the age of 5.

CornishCockney | 04.11.09 - 4:48 p.m. | #

Fab dg. Took me right back to my days at Infant and Junior schools.

I was walking to and from school alone from the age of six, here in suburban North London. I don't think parents would even consider that today but it develops great self sufficiency and road awareness.

Can we ever go back to schools being places of education through creative exposure to a wide variety of experiences, instead of the tick box exam factories they have become?

Dave | Homepage | 04.11.09 - 5:22 p.m. | #

Sounds a bit like my first school, in my case over sixty-five years ago.
I remember my first day. All that lovely silver sand in a big container, it felt wonderful just slipping through your fingers. And a big boy called Frankie who kept crying and trying to get out of the door because he missed his Mum. I couldn't understand his behaviour at all.
Our one mile walk to school was along the main road through our large village and often we had long Army convoys trundling past...

pop artist | 04.11.09 - 7:25 p.m. | #

My first school memories:
1. The teacher, Miss Drew. She had bouncy hair. I adored her.
2. Being confronted in the playground by a mother who asked, "Are you the little girl who keeps hitting Brenda?"

Great Aunt Annie | 04.11.09 - 8:04 p.m. | #

Lovely post, had me smiling from ear to ear while reading it.
Cxx

Christian | 04.11.09 - 10:17 p.m. | #

All that education....and you end up writing beautiful blogs for us to enjoy.
Do you think that to-days first dayers will be able to write so well in 40 yrs?

peter | 04.11.09 - 11:16 p.m. | #

....and according to Google Australia's home page - it's the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street.

Good old school days - I wanted to go to school forever

Maz | 04.11.09 - 11:47 p.m. | #

It's a few more years for me and my first teacher was called Mrs Podevelnikoff. No wonder I can't spell.

Winnie | 09.11.09 - 11:58 p.m. | #

I remember it being pretty much the same in the summer of 1986. My mother was a teacher in the class next door. She is still a teacher and has to jump through numerous government hurdles now... to achive what in difference to all those years ago I don't know.

Simon | 17.11.09 - 11:34 p.m. | #

I cried in school and my mum told me she would wait for me in the yard. If I was feeling low, I had only to look out the window and see her there. It worked the first time, and I can still see her standing there in her gabardine coat in the rain, giving me a little wave. But next time I looked around she was gone. First lesson on the first day - trust no one.
I still shudder when I walk past that building.

Malachi O'Doherty | Homepage | 16.11.11 - 10:57 a.m. | #











TridentScan v2.10.0 | Privacy Policy