When I was in school, I did poorly up until my Freshman year. Why? The majority of learning had been memorizing. Arithmetic, spelling, geography and all the rest of the crap they tried to pump into my brain. Nothing like trying to nail a hyper active boy down for some memorizing.
I hated it! And I was bad at it. They tried to hold me back at least 2 years that I remember. I was continuously berated for under achieving.
Then, in High School, new subjects were taught where you had to think, like algebra and logic and interpreting literature.
Now we're talking.
I had no idea I was good at thinking, but I was. And I enjoyed it. Sure, there still was memorizing, like learning Latin. For God's sake, I took Latin for 4 years. Somebody should have shot me and put me out of my misery. But the thinking stuff was great.
Now, I'm back into the thick of memorizing. And, being a student after 40 years of career, and now, retirement.
Sure, I did a lot of adult learning but that is not the same. I have always loved adult education because it was relevant and challenging without memorizing.
But this is not the same as academic learning. You know, sit in class, do homework and get tested.
I have been reluctant to actually study. Like I used to study. In a serious, dedicated fashion. Academic style.
Something snapped this week and I just might be a dedicated student again.
It kind of feels good. I forgot what being a student is like. There is an electricity to it. A tension. A compelling pull to progress.
And this in Spanish and theater which both are memorizing heavy.
I still don't like the memorizing but it is a necessary evil toward these ends.
Two things happened.
First, Spanish.
We got a new teacher who is extremely professional. I think she has been teaching for many years.
The previous teachers, always young, use the preset material of the school, showed up for our class without preparation and taught helter skelter out of the book, skipping what they didn't want to teach.
This new teacher comes to our class prepared! She has a class plan, with newly created handouts, tests and questionnaires, and homework devised before class starts. She knows exactly what will be achieved in each session.
What a breath of fresh air. It has inspired me to really start studying, like a real student.
Second, acting.
At our class last night, we each preformed a scene that was given to us last week. Everyone had theirs memorized...except me. Uh oh! That lit the fire under my ass! I don't like to be embarrassed.
And, the directing was effective. And the acting was engaging.
It was enough to get me going and start treating this class like it could actually be valuable.
So now, if I am waiting for my ride on a street corner, I'm memorizing lines. Before breakfast, I'm studying Spanish. Many times throughout the day, I spend a half hour working on one or the other.
A lot of work but I'm starting to see results.
And, on top of all this, I'm practicing guitar daily. But hey, that's fun! No memorizing.
Who would have thought I would get back into being a student again?
We'll see if it will last.
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