Case and point. We headed up to the old elementary we used to attend two and a half years ago. It was our EXPO teacher's last day before retirement, and we wanted to wish her well. She couldn't wait to start the next chapter! "Lynn" had taken a job with Lego-- Yeah, Lego; how cool is that-- after EXPO was taken outta of school. She was given the task of doing TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) math prep for the district. Bummer, because EXPO was the only "fun" subject a select number of kids had. Not a bummer was the huge box she filled up for us with learning games and cool math books!
That was awesome, but the handful of frustrated teachers and bored-to-coma students was curious. What are they moping for? Summer's here! Several shared the point that "yeah, but it hadn't started yet," or "so what... we just have to come back in August."
What an aspiration, eh? To learn by repetition to do what you're told, so that one day you won't be so discouraged when your work hours are increased, paycheck cut and hafta simply "do what you're told," some more...
I'm sorry. That's complaining, and negative issues already have too much spotlight. So, thank GOD we have a box full of even more cool stuff to be excited about. This I would wish on every kid!
Whoa!!! I almost forgot the best part! The part that mends this heart... When we left, it was with the 2nd grade girl struggling with math and my 1st grade boy unable to read. Now, after two years of playing, imagining, playing, watching movies, reading funny books and playing, I have a girl that's consumed with problem-solving games and puzzles, and a boy almost obsessive with characters, plots, scenes and settings of movies.
Heck-- We can't wait for the next day, let alone the whole summer!
