A Day at Brigid's School
May 9, 1998
5:19 a.m.
There are events in life that resonate with me. These things make me realize what's important and, I find, have a way of bleeding over into every aspect of my life. We went to Brigid's school yesterday for a parent conference. Her school is what I'll call Montessori-oriented, and when we walked into the building, kids were in the hallway talking and looking for all the world like they were playing. The corridor was hot and covered with the usual artwork and reports. They had a table set up where parents were to sit down and look at work their children had completed over the past few months. While I was scanning Brigid's poetry and math and language arts work, three kids walked by, one holding a sleeping baby racoon like it were a baby sister. Quite a ruckus broke out for a moment when it was discovered that the pet snake had "barfed". (no, I'm not going there). Brigid stepped out of class and walked up to us. We had a nice little chat for several minutes while her class "worked" on things behind her. If you get the idea that law and order are not on the school's primary agenda, you're on the right path. Sometimes I forget that the goal of school is to learn, and even when I tell myself to take joy in the "loose" freedom Brigid's classroom provides her I sometimes find myself feeling that something is out of kilter as I watch kids "wander" the hallways "aimlessly". They always appear to be having too much fun, and to be not doing too much work, you know? The truth, of course, is that the kids are learning about more than the three Rs. They are learning the joy of learning. They are learning about each other. They are learning responsibilty and self-discipline. It's the kids' job to get their work done, and though it sometimes appears a bit willy-nilly, the results this school provides stand for themselves. We met with Brigid's Math teacher (and the school Directress). And we met with her Reading teacher. Of course, both said she was fantastic--personally, I think it's the parents, you know? We talked for quite awhile, seeing where her achievement stood in relation to the rest of the students in her age bracket. Some places she was stronger than others, of course. Top of her class here, middle there, needs a bit of help here. You get the idea. Then we saw her scores on the standardized tests the school took earlier this year. First, I should say that the concept of Standardized Tests don't play into the Montissori approach. The school teaches at different rates and with different concepts. They are very much a "mastery school" where the student works on something until they understand, and only then do they move on. So, with this in mind, one might be a bit forgiving if the kids from Montessori backgrounds have a little difficulty scoring well on standardized tests that kids in public school have been educated around. Brigid's scores:
She received perfect marks on two tests, and scored as well as average high school students are expected to score (on those same tests) in five of the twelve sub-categories. Did I mention Brigid is finishing up the third grade this year? Am I bragging? Well, yes ... But there's much more than that behind this little essay. While we were at school, I saw Barry, a kid I coached in soccer two years ago. He's playing "Express" now, and had hurt his ankle in last week's game. He limped around school, playing it up as I remember doing when I was a kid. And he stopped and talked to me for a moment. I talked to a co-worker's daughter and complimented her on her performance in the school program. She blushed and with complete self-confidence said she knew she had done well. Sixth graders roamed the hallway, mixing with second and third graders and treating them as equals. One of Brigid's friends sat in front of a computer while three other students gathered around and pointed at various items on the screen. There are fundamental truths in the world, I think. And standing there in Brigid's school, I realized I had found one. These kids really enjoy one another, and, while they may not admit it to anyone's face, they love being here. I think it's no coincidence that the school's overall average scores on the standardized tests beat the best public schools in every category. A vibration rang in my chest as we left the school. I get this feeling every now and again. It's a low throbbing, something totally in sync, perfectly timed as if it originates from the center of the Earth. The air seems charged somehow, and there is stability in the world. It's the same feeling I get when I finish writing a story that I think is exactly what I meant to say, regardless of whether it ever sells or not. It's something . . . well, fundamental and true. It's a feeling that makes life what it is. Last night, Lisa and I played Boggle with Brigid. Lisa, the copy editor extraordinaire, is killer at this game. So we changed the rules and kept a combined score, tallying all the words we found each round and seeing how many points we could get as a family. We had M&Ms as a snack. Somewhere along the way, Brigid found "Norway". Now, mind you, Norway is not a word per the rules of the game. But, hey, if all the news reports are to be believed, Norway isn't a place most high schoolers could point out, better yet spell. Brigid was quite proud of finding it in the twisted maze of letters available, especially since neither Lisa or I had managed to uncover it. We counted it. And Brigid smiled a little smile, pleased with herself in that simple fashion that means all the world.   Novel The Moon and the Sun by Vonda N. McIntyre Novella Novelette Short Story  Daily Persistence is © Ron Collins |
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"Truth hath a quiet breast" William Shakespeare |
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