I was talking to an acquaintance who was complaining that he hadn't learned anything "useful" in High School, and his son didn't want to take math, foreign language, and history. I pointed out that all of these might be useful in future, and was the boy being taught to think? So, did you learn anything in high school, anything that you have found "useful" now?
Apart from the "3 Rs" etc., I did French, Geography and Art. But the most valuable lessons were. The ability to stand up in front of a number of people and address them on different topics, using the correct grammar and without including a lot of "ums," "errs" or waving my hands about, as if I were "signing at the same time." TV news and programme presenters are the worst offenders. I went to a Surrey grammar school and our English master took the time to explain that in life, personal presentation and the ability to communicate to people on any level was particularly important. In many companies, an internal promotion can depend on a fleeting memory of a fifteen second conversation by the decision maker, with someone who comes to mind, when a vacancy occurs and not on what's in an HR file.
LOL. What happened in high school, stays in high school. I am even gonna bite my lip and not complain about what I have been hiring the last few years.
Yes !! I learned that I didn`t know near as much as I thought I did ! And that I will never be a typist !
"Economics" Refusing to play in any of the school rugby or cricket teams as I had a "Saturday and holiday job" in a local grocers. Meant that I could afford to pay for a new guitar and amplifier to play in a jazz band in a pub on Friday nights and when I left school, enough to pay for my first car, a 21 year-old Austin 7 convertible, for which I paid £35. I kept it a year and all it cost me in maintenance was a set of re-tread tyres and 1/- for a dynamo bearing,
Most of the girls my age were studying for the MRS degree during our high school years...many of us got engaged during the summer before 12th grade... and married within a few days after the graduation ceremony. Very small town and high school. During Jr. High and High school I took 6 years of Home Economics .... I learned how to make out a budget, set a table for a fancy party, make an Aspic with cold chicken, celery and unflavored jello. Identify, furniture styles...my favorite was Chippindale did not know about the male strippers until much later....wow knowing that sooner would have made high school soooo much more interesting. I had to select one science my senior year so I could graduate....Chemistry stunk up the whole lower level of the building, Biology involved cutting open small critters so I took Physics because someone told me it was about math and I loved math classes. The teacher felt sorry for me and gave me a C just so I could get on with my life after high school.
This would be the late fifties, when my wife attended a grammar school. What she really wanted to learn was how to type, but the school didn't think being just a typist was something to which their students should aspire. So she left got a part-time job and joined a secretarial school where she learned typing and shorthand. When we got together when we were both nineteen she was already earning twice as much as a secretary as I did working in an office.
I didn't go to high school it was a secondary school until i was 15 and then got a job. What I learned at school was cooking and sewing and also needle work and crafts, made my own leather cover for my little radio that I shouldn't have taken to school but played it in the brakes. Wasn't good at maths and didn't like PE. Didn't like science, one day I took my crochet in and did it under the desk.
Evening all It was called the 11plus - the exam all the kids had to take at that age. By then I was flitting off on a 12 seater jerky little plane to Malta, so I missed the exam.... (dad was in the navy) Back in the UK at the age of 13 I was put into a Secondary Modern school, which was great! We did art, basket making, cooking, French language AND gardening. I made the mistake of being top of the class most of the time (if only I'd known) and finished up in the Technical College for girls - Two choices only - pre nursing or commerce - not good! I went for shorthand and typing and business studies. No boys in the school, so it was boring, and I reacted by playing the fool. The shorthand and typing did earn me some money and I have been self employed all my working life. The main thing I learned however, was to follow your biggest interests and build life around this. Happiest times have always been working in horticulture - they should never have removed me from the SM school where I could work with the soil. So the motto has to be ... follow your heart! I did manage to get turfed out of the Tech though at the age of 15
Identify, furniture styles...my favorite was Chippendale ! I have studied furniture and its evolution "Both English and American" for the last 40 years or more ! Even thought Thomas Chippendale was English most of our furniture styles were in the UK before they came here ! Its a fascinating subject ! Good to know someone here is interested !
It would have been a miracle! He wasn't even a twinkle in his daddies eye then. Some of us have it, while others are sadly lacking @Dirtmechanic
Mart, the expressions on baby faces have fascinated me since I was at school. Actually, I composed a book full of these, with captions whilst at school and before the awful Tech college. The teacher gave me top marks for it - as I said before, always stick with those subjects you enjoy
