Tuesday 28 July 2009

Alright. I admit. I am won over.

I admit to being a bit swayed towards the delights of island living following yesterday, finding it quite easy to navigate round to areas in which the children are interested, and becoming steadily aware of the extraordinary history, prehistory and geological scope of this remarkable and beautiful land.

The final blow is probably delivered by Steve, curator of geology at the Dinosaur Isle museum.

Because this morning I take Shark and Squirrel to the geology walk at Shanklin organised by the museum and led by Steve, who is one of those people we are lucky to meet in our world; passionate about what they do, and committed to explaining and communicating their ideas with energy and enthusiasm.

And yes, I will stick out my neck and say we meet a damn sight more of these people in our home education world than I ever did while teaching in a secondary school. Not that the people who teach are not enthusiastic and committed to communication with children. Just that after a term in the classroom, they are usually tired out and worn down through struggles with classroom control, students who aren't interested, a system that can't personalise the education yet has to talk as if it can, colleagues who are dispirited and cynical, and a testing system that is unrewarding and thankless.

So when we meet people like Steve in all the worlds we enter into, whether it is arts, science, history, paleontology, sailing, or jumping up and down on a trampoline, we can recognise them. I wish all your kids could meet teachers like this.

And this geology walk is the point when I realise we are going to have to come again to the Isle of Wight, and why, come next Saturday, I shall be kicking and screaming when they try and drag me off this island.

2 comments:

Mamma Po said...

Glad you're enjoying Island life. I don't like to say 'Told you so..'.

The Dinosaur Isle museum rocks, doesn't it? Haven't met Steve though, he sounds a good find.

Grit said...

Mamma Po, you are fortunate indeed!