Our long car trip to King’s Island provided an opportunity for Carter and I to talk about school starting again. He insists he can’t wait for school to start so he can meet his teacher and catch up with his friends. He started telling me various friends’ TV preferences (Simpsons) and older siblings’ teacher experiences.
Me: How do you know all of that about your friends?
Carter: We talk.
Me: When do you talk?
Carter: At school.
Me: But your recess is so short. When do you talk?
Carter: Oh, we talk when the teachers believe we are working. It’s possible to work and have conversations. (pause) Actually, none of the teachers seem to believe that’s possible, they believe you have to be silent to work. We have to be very quiet and careful about our conversations. The teachers don’t even notice if we’re good at it.
2 replies on “Back to School”
I love it!! This would be a great ad for a campaign for Chicago Public Schools reinstating recess!!! Actually, I don’t believe you have to be silent to work, which makes me a bit unusual as a teacher. Although I would prefer the students be talking about the work instead of tv and siblings 🙂
Glad to hear you got to go to King’s Island 🙂
And I’m with Carter. That’s one of the reasons I always liked teaching chem labs. I mean, yeah, you’ve got work to do, but really, what’s wrong with some chit-chatting while the distillation’s cooking?