School Days

This month’s prompt from our bloggers’ group made me think about what was actually taught in school vs. what I learned that I used in later life…

In the days before calculators, multiplication tables were really important. When pocket calculators became affordable, teachers told us we still had to learn them because “you won’t always have a calculator with you”. How wrong that proved to be! There are probably more effective ways than rote memorization, but that’s all we had at the time. I don’t know many people who can tell you off the top of their head what 7 x 8 is (the 7s and 8s were the hardest ones for me), but I’m always impressed when someone can. During the days when I worked at a winery, I had the 12 x’s down cold, because a case of wine is 12 bottles! The only metric measurement I never forget is the 750 ml standard bottle of wine (which also contains @four 4 oz glasses) – the things that stay with you!

I was always quick to say “I hate math”, being more of a “words” than “numbers” girl. Yet, I spent 15 years of my life in banking, working with numbers every day. I also taught basic math in culinary school, mostly relating to measurements (which I taught with empty milk cartons), calculating portion costs and converting recipes to make greater or fewer portions. I found using coins to be very effective in getting adults to understand the basics of fractions, decimals and percentages.

I don’t know anyone who DIDN’T go into sciences or mathematics professionally who ever used calculus or trigonometry (I knew better than to try either one – and kissed my dream to be a veterinarian goodbye…). I would like to revisit basic algebra, because I often seem to know x and y, but can’t figure out z!

What was useful from high school? Parallel parking in driver’s ed! Yes, cars today do it FOR you, but boy, was this useful in my days at university, when I was too poor and/or too cheap to buy a parking pass. I parked on every side street around my dorm, apartment or sorority house, and if I had 6″ of space in front and behind, I could wedge my Volkswagon Beetle IN there! I also racked up so many parking tickets that I went on the “hot sheet”, and one day they towed the Beetle when it was actually parked legally! I had to pay a ransom (all the outstanding fines) and be driven in a campus police car to the impound lot back behind the football stadium. Yes, a budding outlaw before the age of 21….

The other useful thing was typing, which my father had told me was the only useful thing HE learned in high school too. We learned to type on IBM Selectrics, which had all the characters on one tiny ball so there were no keys to get tangled. I’ve loved the sleek design and pebble finish all these years, never dreaming that my father-in-law-to-be had worked as an engineer on the Selectric, cutting the number of moving parts in half.

We sat in stenographer chairs, (circa 1955?), which forced you to sit very straight. We were told that excellent posture would keep our backs from getting tired, and you know, they were RIGHT! I turned out to be an excellent typist, which served me well in the temp and clerical jobs I held over the years, and sure does come in handy today in our keyboard-driven world.

In 6th grade, we learned to diagram sentences in English class (before it was Language Arts – was there ever a more pretentious title?!?). While I know it still gives some folks nightmares, I find it invaluable to be able to identify the subject, object, modifiers, etc. I am a defiant grammar snob, and my pet hate is the ever-increasing substitution of the word “I” for “me”. For example, “It was a wonderful moment for Steve and I.” Or, “I never believe this could happen to Jim and I”. CRINGE!!!!

In 5th grade, we learned the 50 states. We had to fill them in on a map, and on a paper numbered 1 to 50, spell them correctly in alphabetical order, list their capital and official abbreviation. I got 3 wrong and had to write each one 100 times (during recess!) When I see those horrendous “person on the street” interviews with people who don’t know that New Mexico is a state, I wish they could have the benefit of Mrs. Rolf, my 5th grade teacher! I was once standing in line in a post office in Newport News, Virginia, and heard a woman arguing with the postal clerk, quite huffily, that “Delaware is not a state, it’s a CITY in Maryland!” The rest of us in line quickly chimed in and convinced her of the error of her ways.

Things I think you SHOULD learn before you get out of high school:

• Excel, Word and Powerpoint – or their modern equivalent. I have used least one of these daily for the last 30 years.

• How toilets work and how to unclog them

• How to rewire a lamp

• How to sharpen a lawn mower blade and replace its spark plugs

• How to cook a steak, fry an egg, bake a potato and make a vinaigrette

• How interest and compounding, credit and credit scores work.

The final word should be from Father of Guido Sarducci, of Saturday Night Live fame, on the 5 Minute University Enjoy!

Let’s see what the other bloggers had to say:

For October’s prompt, Leslie at Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After reflects on a long but beloved career as a school librarian. Find her at https://onceuponatimehappilyeverafter.com

As usual, Penny goes a bit off-piste with this theme. She does look at her schooldays, which were sooo long ago! But she also looks at the British class based system of schooling; as in private v state schooling. This is because it not only impacted her life but also it has huge consequences for British society as a whole.  https://frugalfashionshopper.co.uk/

Suzy reflects on her varied and memorable schooldays, from culture shocks and cherished friendships to inspiring teachers and unexpected changes. Find her at https://suzyturner.com

Rosie is talking about her village primary school and a very special ‘School Girl’ rose! https://rosieamber.wordpress.com

Gail from Is This Mutton serves up some amusing memories from school, including the missing gerbil and her mum’s ride home in a hearse. https://www.isthismutton.com

Anne writes about her current job: teaching Photoshop and Illustrator to fashion design BFA students.https://spygirl-amb.blogspot.com

Debbie shares memories of her schooldays in Australia, and sending her daughters to school in Cheddar (UK) where (by coincidence) she’s currently staying! https://debs-world.com

Marsha spent the majority of her life in school, either as a student or as a teacher, and sometimes both!  She writes about her earliest teaching memories.  https://marshainthemiddle.com

Jill’s take on this one is a smattering of memories from my long ago schooldays. https://grown-up glamour.com