Just some thoughts of mine

Who would have thought ten years ago that I would become an avid Coro Street fan? Certainly not me. Then again who would have thought that I would become part of the establishment, or hold conservative views? It's a great and funny and sad thing all at once the process of aging. It doesn't frighten me and I love getting older even though there's still a 20 year old living inside this middle aged body. I am struggling, however with watching my Mum lose her independence, after close on 80 years of very active living and I can't help but wonder how healthy she would be if it wasn't for tobacco! Suddenly she is reliant, dependent even, on Janeve and I. For me that's not a problem apart from the fact that it affects any thoughts of travel and/or work abroad, but for her it's a real problem. She's always said how she doesn't want to burden anyone and she's not but I sense how much she hates having to rely on others. Then there's the cognition. That seems to be deteriorating as rapidly as the physical health and I can't help but wonder how much one relies on the other. She was once a church goer and I wonder too if she ever thinks about the teachings she learnt in those years. She does't share much of her inner thoughts.

"Enough!"
"How?" I hear you say
"Does this relate to education?"

It's just that education is about people, especially children, and relationships between people and I wonder if we are turning out better citizens with all the pressure that is now brought to bear on the classroom teacher, and the continuing narrowing of the curriculum. I think not! Bring back fun, music, and frivolity and lessen the pressure of E-learning, inquiry, and the total focus on numeracy and literacy with the inherant unmanageable pressures of incessant assessment all with the aim of appeasing the buracracy! We all want literate and numerate students of course, and I love computers as much as the kids, but for goodness sake, when I meet some of my ex students now, they don't say "Hi Mr Green, thanks for teaching me to read." They do say "thanks for making school such fun, do you still play the guitar. I remember that song we used to sing all the time" Actually, most of my new entrants taught themselves to read, I provided the enthusiasm, and reasons to read whilst allowing me to concentrate on those who struggled to make the connections.