(This was prompted by some of the comments on my "talking back" post).
I never really liked school, but by the time I was 13 I had started to skip it quite a lot. So, assuming that on this day I was actually going, here is a typical school day when I was 13.
I walked to school, a trip of around a mile and a half. The school was pretty awful, the sort of school that you went to when you could not get into anywhere else. Interestingly, this is the same school that my kids now go to and it has totally turned around, people are desperate to get their kids into it and actually buy houses close to it to increase their chances!
On the way I met up with one of my few school friends and we ambled to the registration class chatting about the latest Frank Zappa album. At this age I was taller than most, thinner than most and had hair that came down to around the bottom of my shoulder blades. I guess I was a cross between a hippy and a heavy metal fan.
In registration I found a quiet corner and read a few pages of The Lord of the Rings.
English - This was one of my favourite classes. The teacher was a total nut but had such passion for his subject that I could not help getting hooked. Most of the other kids were not as kind to him, sadly. Today we continued our study of The Illiad, complete with dramatic demonstration of events by our teacher. He was totally wasted at that school.
Science - My science teacher was like something from a Frankenstein movie. I am sure that he was incapable of moving any of the joints above his waist. He walked into the classroom, talked for 5 minutes in a low, rumbling voice that verged on the limit of human hearing, meaning that most of us did not really follow what was said and then retired into his store cupboard while we copied writing and diagrams from the boards. Inspiring stuff...
Maths - This teacher lived only 2 doors away from me, and we got on really well. He kept telling me that I was a genius when it came to maths and one day he expected me to be a professor of maths. This was the top stream maths class and I always found the work terribly easy so maybe he was right. I had a great rivaly with one of the guys in the class, made worse a year later when I turned up after being off for weeks on end to find myself faced with a test. I got 96%, just beating him. Years later he remembered that and called me all sorts of names!
Sport - I hated this. Looking back now and knowing that I had dyspraxia it all makes sense. I could not run fast, I could not catch very well, I could not kick a ball very straight, I could not hit a ball with a bat, I could not climb ropes. When it came to picking teams I was the last one left. However, today we were playing hockey (on grass, not ice!) and somehow I seemed to be quite good - or at least the others were not a zillion times better than I was! I really liked hockey until the day 2 of us went for the ball at exactly the same moment and it shot up and slapped me right between the eyes, knocking me out cold. I never got my edge back again after that and hockey became just another sport I was rubbish at. Then there was the bit that was even more dreaded - the communal shower full of naked 13 year old boys. I always made sure I was really slow getting out of my kit, hoping to get the shower to myself...
Then it was off home at lighning speed - unless I managed to "bump into" the girl that I had a total crush on. Then I would try to get us to walk as slowly as possible. I knew deep down that she was only interested in older boys who were cool and had cars, but hey, when you are 13 and in love anything is possible!
So, what was school like when YOU were 13?
8 comments:
Awww - you sounded like such a cutie!
And nice job on the math...it has always been my weakest subject. Boo!
I'll write a post about this too, next week :)
It doesn't suprise me at all that you were considered a math genius and very interested in your English courses. It does surprise me that your crush wasn't interested in you though! I would have thought your sense of humor at least would have had the girls falling all over you! I might try this one too. That was fun!
Ali - Cute? I don't think so. Even if I was, cute did not cut it at that school! Thinking about it, though, by the time I was 16-17 I could probably have made it good as a toy-boy. Older women seemed to like me for some reason.
Terri - Not even my wonderful sense of humour helped me - you had to be cool and have a car.
Man, being a teenager can be so rough. Kids are harsh - mean even. I was lucky. I stayed under the radar. Of course, I was pretty Amazonian even back then & a tomboy. I was always picked 1st for the sporting stuff in gym class.
I was not picked on. I was one of the lucky few. Then, one day out of the blue, the "president" of our student body became interested in me and my whole reputation made a huge 180-degree change. . . . .
Weird how one single moment can change your life for the better (or worse).
P.S. I was never good at math. But I do like Behavioral Statistics! It's not math - I'm sure that is why.
Funny. I like the way you describe stuff. I get a kick out of it. You shoul write a book with such stories.
Sorry to hear about the dog. Next time kick the dumb dog, oh & take him to the dog pound. haha. Ok maybe don't kick him but I would if it didn't leave me alone. Again I am not a violent person I promise. Dumb lady!
Glad the scones turned out good for you daughter. I hate it when teachers do such things.
I don't even want to remember how horrific being 13 was!!!! I was tormented because I was the new girl. I had lots of fist fights, name calling, etc. It was pretty lonely until high school.
Jen - I steered away from the bullying and crap that was inevitable for someone as different as I was. Behavioural Statistics sounds like fun...
AmazingBrenda - I have thought about writing a book...
Kenady - Where do people get the idea that your school years are the best of your life? There is no way I would go back. Unless I knew what I know now - THAT could be a whole lot of fun...
I loved English but hated Sport and Maths.
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