“Sex education may be a good idea in the schools, but I don’t believe the kids should be given homework.”
The sky opened and the rain fell, all night into this morning, and I drifted off to sleep listening to the sounds of the rain. The storm was quixotic. The drops sometimes pelted the roof then they’d fall gently, in almost a whisper. Today is quiet, the way it is after a storm; only the birds break the stillness.
It was one of those guess the day mornings. I could have sworn it was Saturday, but a quick review of the last few days brought me back to Friday. I had no plans for the day, whatever it was. The house is clean, the larder filled, and I have some books from the library. I think my world is just about perfect.
Most times we didn’t get homework on Fridays. I guess it was the nuns practicing charity. Every other day of the week, though, found me at the kitchen table in the afternoons right after school. I liked to do my homework right away so the rest of the day could be mine. I never moaned about getting homework. Somehow I understood it to be my lot in life, and it never took much time when I was in elementary school to do a few arithmetic problems or learn some new spelling words. I was quick and out the door in no time.
At the end of the year when I was in the third grade, I got three ribbons for excellence: one for spelling, another for religion and a third for English. I still have them upstairs in a scrapbook. The ribbons were homemade by the nuns, and each had a pin on the back so I could proudly wear them. They were the first prizes I ever received, and I wanted to save them forever. I’m still working on that.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: Elementary school, homework, prizes, rain
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
September 17, 2010 at 2:05 pm
The weather has a hard time deciding what to do here. One minute it rains and the next the sun shines. It´s not really cold, but it would be a lie to say that it´s warm too 🙂
The only time I can remember complaining about home work was when I had it in french. I never really understood that language but studied it for five years 🙂 🙂 🙂 I loved history, religion and geography so they were of course my best subjects.
But we never got any ribbons or anything else here. Back then they saw it as unfair towards those students that had a hard time studying. Then they thought that they might work harder than us that got good grades and that theyb then would be sad if they didn´t get anything. Back then I thought it to be a strange thought, but nowdays I think it might have been the right way to think 🙂
Have a great day now!
Christer.
September 17, 2010 at 11:38 pm
Christer,
At least our day made up its mind to stay damp and chilly. The sun never once appeared.
It is sad to think we can’t honor effort and performance so we don’t hurt other kids’ feelings. It feels as if we undervalue the kids who do well by doing that.
I loved geography too.
September 17, 2010 at 3:13 pm
My first prize was a six shooter Lone Ranger gun with caps that made louder than loud noise and I was asked to stop playing with it at the church banquet. Had something to do with my perfect times table I turned in. Then in 6th grade I won a Hoola Hoop which nobody in class knew much about but liked to play with it out on the hardtop. Girls liked it even more. Those were the two prizes I won that I remember. Can’t quite place ribbons so that must have been a girl thing.
September 17, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Z&Me,
That was a far greater prize than ribbons! I don’t remember our prizes ever being real ones. They were more ornamental. I like your much more.