For Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop today, I chose the prompt:
5.) Top ten reasons why you’re glad you’re done with school.
(I began this list with my more serious thoughts, so I could end the post on a light-hearted note.)
10. My mom and I were extremely close during my childhood. My dad died when I was an infant, and my sisters were grown and married by the time I was 5 years old. So I simply didn’t want to leave Mom to go to school.
9. Because I didn’t want to leave Mom, I cried almost everyday when I had to board the school bus. That, of course, was just fodder for teasing from some of the other kids on the bus. That didn’t exactly make for a happy school experience. And the teasing worsened as the years passed.
8. Also, because of the closeness to my mom, I was always afraid that something bad would happen to her while I was away at school. And in my child’s mind, I was afraid to tell anyone, because I thought that would cause it to happen. Anxiety? You bet.
7. School is especially difficult when you’re painfully shy. Now I realize that I would have enjoyed school much more had I been able to relax and not worry about what the other kids were thinking or saying about me.
6. I never liked getting on the school bus by myself, but living in the country, that’s the way it was. Many’s the time I wished for a brother or sister to ride the bus with me.
5. Not being athletic, I was the one always chosen last for a team. Regardless of the sport.
4. School projects were always cause for alarm. They seemed to usually require illustrations or drawings, and nothing was more daunting than a blank sheet of poster board. (Thanks again, June, for the help with the life stages of a frog.)
3. Oral book reports. I remember once, I was so nervous, I noticed as I was looking at my notes that I could see my skirt shaking.
2. Riding a school bus. I mean, really, is there any other mode of transportation as uncomfortable?
And the Number One reason, I’m glad I’m done with school?
1. Two words: math and science. Instead, give me grammar and spelling any day.
These days, I do most of my learning in blog-land; I’m done with school.
First Grade
these days of mine 