So Not Much Has Changed There Then

So not much has changed there then.

*runs to head teacher* mr. gardiner ... mr. gardiner! ... karl wiggins is being horrible to me!

There's nothing quite like a loud trumpet to wake everyone up.

County Junior School Cavendish Road Skegness 2nd year form teacher, Miss Clarke *Liana is an abysmal girl, who appears to have disdain for those in authority* Nothing much changed there then.

On all school reports ever issued: 'Andrea could try harder'. Still the same, then...

John is an intelligent, hard-working boy, who will go far. I once went to Australia - does that count?

"Effort" (or lack of it) seemed to be the key word when I was at school. In five years, the best comment I ever received was, "Has a mature understanding, but is bone idle."

St. Monicas Primary Bunhill Row, London 1963 Sister Mary Ursula "The boy is a babe-magnet"

'This boy will never pass his Latin 'O' Level' - school report from Latin master. Cook passes Latin 'O' Level at first attempt (Grade 6). Latin master drops down dead on way home from reading the grades achieved by his pupils. Cook 1 LatinMaster 0. No prospect of extra time.

needs to participate in class discussion more. They never got that I couldn't share my opinions with a bunch of people eager to take the p.i.s.s out of me. Frickin idiots.

My history teacher, fifth form, casting a sardonic smile in my direction as he hands me back a test paper marked with a large red 'D': "I must say, I always look forward to reading your essays with a certain relish. You write the most imaginatively inaccurate accounts of historical events I've ever read!" Great thread Karl!

Thanks Britgirl, I'm enjoying it too.

Unlike Hellen, many of the comments about me were along the lines of "needs to participate in class less, as he often just blurts things out when he has something to say." I also always got bad marks for handwriting and neatness. Of course, with wordprocessing nowadays, that would be meaningless, but back then, everything was by hand. I used to get punishments such as copying things over and over to improve my handwriting. Never worked. I still can't even sign my name the same way twice, no matter how hard I try. In offices, people used to ask me "is this your handwriting," and I would hesitate because I genuinely didn't know. Sometimes, even from the content I didn't know (just a string of numbers and dates for example). Oh well.

I empathise entirely. When writing, I print everything and my signature is just a couple of squiggly lines. I mean to do it properly but as soon as pen touches paper something in my subconscious takes over. Unfortunately, on things like driving licenses and passports I make a real extra effort, so no one believes my signature when using credit cards for purchases.

In both elementary and middle school I was voted the most nicest male. I usually got C's and the occasional B for handwriting in elementary school. I remember distinctly my kindergarten teacher actually writing "F" on a cat I colored, cut out and pasted on a sheet of paper. (I wish I kept that!) Still having my report cards (though not with me at the moment), I was usually very quiet at the beginning of the year and then I'd be criticized for blurting "disruptive comments" at the end. A little has changed. No longer am I graded on handwriting so I can write as messy as I want. And as far as the cut-out cat is concerned, I have managed to avoid all such tasks completely nowadays!

I remember art class well. In grade school, every September, I had to go through the impending humiliation of acquiring "art" supplies, such as crayons, scissors, eraser, and paste. Then I would sit in art class while everyone else was drawing something and try not to make too much of a fool of myself. I was so happy when one year they told us we would not be required to bring in art supplies as there was no class. The work itself was not the problem. The humiliation handed out by the teacher was the problem. I simply can not draw a realistic picture of an orange or a chair, for example. I particularly remember putting enormous effort into what I suppose we might call an "impressionist" piece. It was a darkish blend of colors on a round board, something like a large coaster for a coffee cup. It did not "look like" anything, but I had put enormous effort into making the colors blend in a certain way and create a certain effect. The teacher was not impressed and gave me a C minus. I kept that disk for nearly 40 years. I might still have it, but I think I threw it out not too long ago with some other junk. A few years ago when I was in Poland, I started drawing on the computer for my own amusement. I still can't draw, but I can make some caricature-like images that I find amusing. And nearly every square inch of wall space in my very expensive and very tiny apartment is covered with artwork (not mine), so I guess they failed to put me off it all togethr.

"alison must try to curb her supercilious attitude towards both other students and to the staff" school report ... 1975 "alison is unmanageable" alison's manager (Handsome Gary) ... january 1999