My memory has a default. Coldwell
Its a routine. I look at the sky and depending on the deepness of the El Paso blue sky, I can remember one of the grade levels I was in. Bright blue and sunny was dreadful at times for the ever popular class of P.E. The infamous “mile” was something I hated but not because I was afraid of running. It was running up against the fastest and prettiest girls. That was cred in our book. I loved running, but I always felt like something was tied around my legs holding me back from going full blast! I hated it. I was not the fastest. But, I wasn’t the slowest. I was ok. There were times it felt like a let down in my family.
Its hard for me to hear that P.E. has been taken out of Texas schools. At a time when human beings have digital access pretty much everywhere in their life, WHY TAKE AWAY PHYSICAL EDUCATION? This is a huge mistake. Look at the person to your left then your right. Do they have a cell phone, tablet, headphones/air buds, smart watch, or laptop? More than likely. The responsible adults have cars with wi-fi to view apps or watch something. And of course, those little humans follow along. They don’t get that technology on their own payment plan, do they?
This didn’t happen overnight. This was planned by design by people who have not been in the classroom to teach. There’s been a hug push for technology since the early 2000s. Several entire rooms were cleared out and filled with computer labs. The curriculum to teach handwriting was also cut out. There were several teachers that were specifically told to stop teaching hand writing or get written up. The new thing was students were going to learn how to use computers. That huge push hasn’t stopped. The year is 2025 and students are issued laptops. Parents/guardians buy the cell phones/smart watches/ tablets/ and head gear. What a perfect world for today’s kid?
Flashback to the 1970s and 1980s. Maybe the 90s. Things had to be earned. Yes, there were some kids we knew that got everything they wanted. I am talking about the rest of us that had to work in the house, the yard, babysitting, or whatever else to “earn” Atari, a bike, cassette player, or skate board. My brother had a paper route. That was to help the family. My other brothers had their jobs as well. The majority of our friends had to work. New tennis shoes that I wanted? That meant cleaning a lot and taking up my brothers’ chores to work at those shoes. I had a cassette headphone player because it was a hand me down from my brothers. That is how we got stuff. The technology was not needed for communication. Now, it is.
I also was part of the parents group that bought a cell phone for my young Green Day era son. Those days were “Nobody talks til after 9 pm!” Minutes took on a way of currency in some cases. I did stick to the hand me down route with my other kids. Years later my youngest daughter also got a hand me down cell phone. Here is the difference, I limited the time on it. Trips to Barnes and Nobles and the public library were high on our list of weekly to-do things. It was a struggle to find a way to buy books, but we did it. The phone was a status thing for my kids as the latest VANS or Nike shoes were in my youth. I haven’t missed how a cell phone is a status icon.
The cell phone was a communication device. I remember a young second grader who had a smartwatch and her mom worked at the school. She would communicate with her mom where she was and what she was doing. That was a sign that the days of calling the classroom or teacher were over.
This is also a sign of how students do not know how to read or write at their grade level. Students on every level from middle school thru high-school complain they have to write more than three sentences or beyond a couple of paragraphs. I have known students that have said they don’t need to know how to read or write because the computer or AI will fix it. As a teacher that’s concerning and a red flag. For most parents, it’s not their problem. That is the teachers responsibility and fault. They don’t say that if their kid can’t run or play ball, though.
Flashback to nostalgia: I remember looking out the windows and seeing the clouds. Great reading weather. We read books. We knew how to use a dictionary and encyclopedias. Parents were “Go find the answer.” Yes, this was a problem for us. How can I find a word I can’t spell?
“Figure it out.” <—Most parents. People had phone books. Most of us knew phone numbers. Not today. Students have cell phones, but do not know their own parents contact information. Educators have two thoughts in their heads when they hear this: “That’s your mom? You don’t know her number?” And then, the other question that comes up, “Why didn’t your parents make you memorize their number?” Students can remember lyrics to inappropriate lyrics, tic-toks, Instagram posts, and the current way to spell the creative content creators name(s). Parents hold the majority of the cards for what teachers have to work with. How can a parent get mad and demand the teacher be responsible because their kid can’t read and at the same time not feel responsible for not teaching their kid to memorize their info? In 40 years parents don’t want to be held responsible for their child’s education, but will give all the technology needed to avoid a solid education.
I look outside and I see clouds in a deep blue sky. I feel the wind getting colder as I listen to Green Day’s “Wake Me Up When September Ends”. I can go outside and walk and enjoy the change in seasons at this time of year in my hometown. As your reading this, do you know what this time of year is? Does your kid? Maybe ask them. Talk about how this time of year its not just viral pumpkin drinks or sweater posts. Its your time. Your time to walk and listen to each other’s music. Talk about what is crucial in this time of year. Your time with each other. And, if you must, take your electronics. Take pictures of the sky, the sunset, the birds, and your neighborhood. What does it smell like? Autumn has a variety of smells. The colors of autumn will vary. The song playing on the way home. I have those songs in my head a lot at this time of year. I remember my family and my friends. I especially have that default. I don’t know if if will ever be a default in your life, but give it a shot.
Physical education may be out of the curriculum for schools, but don’t let electronics compound that. Walking, running, riding a bike, riding a skateboard, playing soccer, tennis, football, and ping pong are great things to do.
Lessons in education 