5th Grade Memories...
Once upon a time (a longer time ago than I care to admit), I was
in Ms. Dipietro's 5th grade class. (It's been so long that I'm not even
sure that's how you spell her name.) Back then, 5th grade was part of
the elementary school; today it is part of the middle school. My son is
currently in 5th grade and I expect his memories of 5th grade will be very
different from mine.
Despite the fact that it was decades ago,
I still have some pretty clear memories of 5th grade. Although I may not
be clear on the spelling of her name, I remember Ms. Dipietro very clearly; her
warm smile, her longish brunette hair and the hoop earrings that she wore.
(As I had just gotten my ears pierced that summer earrings made a BIG
impact on me.) Her classroom was toward the back of the school (northwest
side). I think we both dressed up as gypsies that Halloween. (Lots
of scarves and big hoop earrings; it was really "cool" back then.)
She taught us some Spanish (foreign language was not part of the
elementary curriculum back then) and which made me feel like our class was
"special" learning something "exotic" and different.
Towards the end of the school year, I remember finishing up the 5th grade
reading/literacy textbook and moving on to the one that was marked for 6th
grade. That really made me feel "advanced."
Most of my memories, as noted above, are
not about academics (I don't recall any homework), but about the class. I
can still name some of my classmates that year. I can still remember the
layout of the classroom. But most clearly I can still remember Ms.
DiPietro and how her classroom was a place I wanted to be. I may not
remember the day to day, but overall my feelings and memories of my last year
in elementary school.
What memories will my son have?
I'm afraid when he looks back on this
academic year all he will recall will be tests (specifically math, since it is
the subject that he struggles the most with and hence dislikes the most) and
homework assignments. I'm afraid that all he will remember will be that
it was a year of stress and not of the new friends that he made and field trips
that he took. Will he remember his teachers as ones who nurtured him or ones
who just gave him test after test? I want him to remember Art Club, 5th
grade socials and the two outdoor field trips. I want him to forget the
frustration and the fears.
Certainly I want my child to get a
"good" education, but even more so, I want him to learn how to
interact with different people. I want him to be educated so that he
survive and thrive in the "real" world when he is an adult. When
all is said and done, I want him to graduate high school feeling good about his
future based on what he has done in his 12+ years of school. I'm not
negating education, but want and need the experience to be one that he can look
back on with fondness. In my mind, the experience is just as important as
the "learning." For it is the experiences that form the
memories, not the tests, quizzes and assessments.
When we look back on our youth and
schooling, what do we remember? What do we want our children to remember? Education is not just about tests; it's about growing up and being prepared to face the "real" world. Shouldn't that be what all children should have? And wouldn't that forge positive memories that will last a lifetime?
You made me cry. My daughter is also in Fifth grade and with your son. I hope she gets to enjoy the friends and memories. It makes me so sad how things have changed.
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