Education: Not off the top of my head

Introduction: Any one reading this column, either regularly or on an occasional basis, will be conscious of the boast made by me that “I write off the top of my head.” That expression means what is written is simply things I think of “on the run” and without preparation or use of notes. While that is essentially the rule, there are occasions to which material from an outside source is referred. An effort is always made to attribute credit to the origin of borrowed material.

Today, I thought I would amend or modify an article read and saved several years ago. This article was for young people. The thoughts and principles would be great material for someone making a speech to high school or college graduates. But few of the readers of this column are actually those graduating from school or college. But many reading are parents, teachers and friends of those young people and in heart and knowledge share with them from their school days the very things to which the young people could relate.

In reality, education reflects viewpoints from so very many perspectives. It is so many statements I have collected from over the years I want to share with you today. So, whether you are parent, teacher or student, it is felt there will be something to amuse, entertain or inform from the observations of others. Many quotes or statements are not necessarily light in content but contain thoughts of challenge.

I will not use quotation marks for each statement; at the beginning I tell you most statements are not original with this writer; they have been greatly enjoyed when read on many occasions during past years.

Education: Some Challenging Thoughts

A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that individuality is the key to success. – Bob Oren few of Murphy’s “Teacher’s Laws:”

You will get the hardest grading teacher in your poorest subject.

The slower the teacher is in passing out the tests and giving instructions, the longer the test.

The night with the most homework is the also the night with the best TV programs.

Study hall is noisiest when you have to cram for a test the next period.

If you are a good athlete, at least one of your teachers will dislike athletics and announce that all sports are a waste of time.

The day of the open book test, you will have left your book at home. Murphy’s Laws for Teachers: If you feel that sports are emphasized too much, at least 75 percent of your class will be athletes.

The students with the worst behavior problems from all of your classes will be in your study hall, homeroom or both.

No matter what subject you teach, at least 25 percent of each class will proclaim the subject is a waste of time. If you teach art, music, physical education or a foreign language, the percentage rises to 80 percent. ( Personal observation: If you teach math, 60 percent will always ask, “When are we going to need this?” A Teacher’s Startling Discovery One Jaime O’Neill has taught for about 20 years in community colleges. It wasn’t their lack of technical knowledge or complex facts, but that so many of the general “facts” they felt they knew but were more than inaccurate. He devised a test of 86 questions for the 26 students in his English Class of ages 18- 54. All had finished one quarter of college work. I now share a few of the results with you:

No, I see my space is up. There will be more on education and graduation next week, including this startling discovery.