Open Hows?
You think by the time you’ve gotten your kid out of diapers, or at least through learning cursive, your job is mostly done. Maybe you’ve got to bail the youngster out of jail a few times during their teen years, but the heavy lifting is basically out of way.
Not!
With our spawn now on the cusp of Middle School, we, as 20th century parents of a 21st century child, get to enjoy the unbridled pleasure of attending open houses for institutions of learning grades 6 through 12. These are events not to be missed, unless you’ve got something way better to do like washing your hair or fixing macaroni and cheese right out of the box.
The evenings unfold according to a script as carved in stone as the original Decalogue, or at least as unwavering as an episode of Bewitched. First, you’ve got the uplifting presentation—often via something as exciting as a student-produced video or Powerpoint slide show—in which the mission, vision, and values of the school are rendered in multimedia splendor. Next, the head of the school gives a soporific speech designed to make the tours of classrooms that then follow seem incredibly exciting.
You mill around for a couple of hours with earnest-looking parents and bored looking kids, all the while making nice in spite of knowing that if you do choose this school, it won’t all be so nice, especially when tuition bills come due.
Of course, I want nothing but the best education possible for my child, so I’ll go anywhere, do anything, and spend whatever it takes to ensure that she learns all of life’s most important lessons in order to succeed at the highest level possible in the competitive global marketplace of the new millennium.
But you know, when I think about it, perhaps the most important lesson she can learn is how to deal with disappointment. And that what happens in middle school stays in middle school.
Not!
With our spawn now on the cusp of Middle School, we, as 20th century parents of a 21st century child, get to enjoy the unbridled pleasure of attending open houses for institutions of learning grades 6 through 12. These are events not to be missed, unless you’ve got something way better to do like washing your hair or fixing macaroni and cheese right out of the box.
The evenings unfold according to a script as carved in stone as the original Decalogue, or at least as unwavering as an episode of Bewitched. First, you’ve got the uplifting presentation—often via something as exciting as a student-produced video or Powerpoint slide show—in which the mission, vision, and values of the school are rendered in multimedia splendor. Next, the head of the school gives a soporific speech designed to make the tours of classrooms that then follow seem incredibly exciting.
You mill around for a couple of hours with earnest-looking parents and bored looking kids, all the while making nice in spite of knowing that if you do choose this school, it won’t all be so nice, especially when tuition bills come due.
Of course, I want nothing but the best education possible for my child, so I’ll go anywhere, do anything, and spend whatever it takes to ensure that she learns all of life’s most important lessons in order to succeed at the highest level possible in the competitive global marketplace of the new millennium.
But you know, when I think about it, perhaps the most important lesson she can learn is how to deal with disappointment. And that what happens in middle school stays in middle school.
posted by Professor Dave at 7:30 PM
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