Tuesday, February 12, 2008

i'm smarter than a 5th grader


my son is now in 7th grade ... i can honestly say that i THINK i'm smarter than a 5th grader... i have to sit with him when he's preparing for exams so i think i know everything he does... but on sunday i watched the south african version of the show and the first question was ... how many wings does a butterfly have... it helps if you actually think before you answer such a stupid question... needless to say i had the answer wrong to the great amusement of my son and his cousin who is 7 years old and who both knew the answer... grrr... i know!!!! i am really just a wee bit stupid...LOL... i can say it... you can't ~ so resist the urge... i beg you... so i guess i'm really not smarter than a 5th grader after all...


i still wonder why on earth the soufff effrican school system had to change from standards to grades... i know you just add 2... but it just doesn't sound right... and it took me the longest time to get used to it... there is a certain feel to your standard five year and to your standard six year and to your matric year that is now... grade 7... grade 8 and grade12... just doesn't have the same ring to it...! back in the day if you said you were now in standard 5 it meant something... now you say grade 7 and the old fogies say... what is that?... is that standard four or five deary???...


so anyway...back to grade 7...i was going through my son's afrikaans work he has to write one of these days...and there is literally 20 million types of different types of words in the afrikaans language...and would someone just tell me ... WHY THE HELL IS THIS IMPORTANT??...really... i've gone to school, all of you have, but have you ever, ok granted if you are a language fundi or a proper writer or such you probably use it... but have you as a normal person ever had to write a sentence ... and wondered to yourself... hmmmm i wonder if i should use a pronoun right about here? i don't think so...


so then i started philosiphising about the shit all kids world wide have to learn off by heart during their 12 year journey through school ...just to never actually use in the real world... crazy... what i would love my kids to grasp is that being at school is the most carefree time of your life, where you get to see your best buddies every day, have a sleep over every weekend, and have a new crush every other week... and that i think is priceless... to not have to worry about money and have absolutely no responsibilities is in my mind absolutele bliss... unfortunately you don't realize this until it's too late...such a pity i think...


i would give my whole front row of pearly whites to have my years at school back...i probably won't be very popular without any front teeth... but still so much fun to be had...!!!

so all the millions of useless facts i was taught at school i will classify as “general knowledge” ... which is handy i know... extremely general but probably usefull to classify yourself as a normal human being... if no one ever taught me that soil had layers, i would definitely be a lesser person right now... so here's a list of things that i learnt at school that was of infinate more use to me in real life, i'll call these life/social skills/good memories :)


  • school taught me to have a thick skin, kids are the cruelest creatures that have ever existed, this is quite a handy tool to carry with you throughout your life... i still remember bursting out in tears when one boy asked why i wore lipstick to school in grade 1, i was highly offended, i had natural red little lips, for some reason i took this as a huge insult...

  • we had these clubs going where you could exchange things like writing paper... oh boy that was the highlight of our year... i learnt how to negotiate to trade five sheets of really pretty paper for my one sheet of absolutely beautiful writing paper.... LOL .... good grief ....

  • in high school, the higher you pulled up your dress~ the more attention you got...

  • to scream like a woman posessed when your school team is winning a rugby game

  • to laugh with your mouth open and legs spread next to your ears because that joke told was just the funniest thing you've ever heard, and you're friends don't laugh at you cause their legs are in exaclty the same position as yours...

  • to eat as much as possible sweets during break if it's someone's birthday and to not worry about the weight you might put on

  • to make friends that you will call your best friends for the rest of your life

  • that share your memories of your first kiss, your first period and your first party is quite something to reminiscent about when you're 36 ... because your best friend when you were 8 is still one of your best friends when you are 36

basically the only useful skill i was taught in highschool...in a classroom, along with maths... was typing...now that i'm thankful for every day of my life... and of course to read and write, that always comes in handy...

10 COMMENTS....bite me!:

Unknown said...

So, how many wings does a butterfly have?

I would not ever go back to school even if you paid me. Varsity, however, is a completely different matter.

Ruby said...

hmmm...i'm with both glug and sweets......i'd love to go back to both....i had a fab time at school..probably because it was a small country school and uni...well, uhm...no comment...i just wanna go and do it again...not over, just again!

The Divine Miss M said...

I wish I was still best friends with the person I was when I was 8. Our friendship died when we were about 19/20. Slowly getting back in touch but some things happen that you just can't get back the trust ... you know? But you make other friends, and as someone once told me it is the journey that counts the most not the destination!

Btw - it's still the same in high school. The shorter your dress the more popular you are. But that only counts with you're skinny and hot. I'm sure if you are fat and ugly that reasoning will only lead to more heartbreak and teasing.

I hate high school. You couldn't pay me enough money to go back there.

And if I ever did I'd want to go back with the knowledge that it doesn't matter how popular you are or how pretty you are because life doesn't actually begin until after you're finished.

Faerie said...

I miss ignorance of young life. AHHHH to be soooo stupid yet think you are so wise. What days those were!!

Elise said...

I loved school when I was young.

Looking back on it the "roll your skirt up and show more leg" is just plain slutty.

Thick clumpy mascara was nasty.

First periods, first kisses, laughing at pathetic boys...

I remember the day we gave the teacher a mental breakdown.

I did my maths coursework during English. I proved a long ass equation. I don't know how. I wouldn't know where to start if I looked at it now.

Am I cleverer than a kid? No.

Wiser? Hell yes!

xx

Sweets said...

glug: sigh... four ok... now forget i ever mentioned it! LOL

for some reason i loved school, if i got paid to go back, now that would be quite something!

ruby: i agree, you put it perfectly!!

miss m: pity about your friendship, to know stuff about each other that nobody else does has deepened my friendship with my "school"friend, it's silly stuff but it makes all the difference XX

faerie: exactly! i thought i was the cat's ass back then, you couldn't tell me anything, cause darn it man i knew it all!

elise: great comment! wiser indeed! i know, that short skirts were just slutty! LOL

Anonymous said...

I am damn sure with you on the giving up of the chewers!

in high school, the higher you pulled up your dress~ the more attention you got...
that is still true, try it sometime!

It was always odd to me that they teach geometry but don't think to teach how to balance a check book it poduces people who know what an obtuse triangle is but have over drawn bank accounts.

AngelConradie said...

bucking frilliant post sweets!!!

i sometimes wish i could go back to school... and i SO wish i'd taken typing!!!
forkitall

Anonymous said...

Dont worry, Stef....

I matriculated 4 years ago when this grade thing was introduced and still to this day, when the kids say i'm in grade 7 i still have to take a moment to realise what standard it is!!!

For me, primary school was the best ever experience i've had at school level, until i reached high school. In one word: CHAOS!!!

Obakeng, The Chief
ONCToday.co.za

Ruby said...

i hate doing this to you sweets....since you already did 50. But i think you can drum up another 7 right? Tag! you're it!
To see details go to my blog....

Truth be told, i tagged you and then remembered that you already did fifty...sos hun!

 
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