When we were going to school, there was little attention paid to early childhood education or social, emotional learning.
School was cut and dried back then. If you didn’t learn, you failed and had to repeat the grade over again (to the embarrassment of your peers).
This practice was later abolished, and they don’t hold students back anymore.
In yesteryear, if you had behavioural problems, you were sent directly to the principal’s office. Or, if you had Mr. Hall (my teacher), a couple of knuckles raps on the head cleared up any transgression.
This guy was really old school . . . tall, with a deep voice, perfect posture and as serious as an army general. And he was stealthy. If he saw you passing notes or flicking a chewed up piece of eraser, he would nonchalantly walk around the room and come up behind you with those rock-hard knuckles.
I’m glad those days are over.
It’s amazing how far education has come in 40 years.
Special needs students are no longer hidden away in a private room, but are now integrated into the classroom. This approach is much better than segregation and the alienation that it brings.
I was a special needs student because of my hearing deficit. They put me in a class of seven kids who had behavioural problems, such as one boy who would frequently pull his pants down and “moon” the teachers.
I will never forget the boy’s mother being so thrilled when I came over to visit him. They just got back from shopping and she set us down on the back porch with a bag of popcorn. Once in a a while he would say, “Want one?”
Back in class on Monday, he would moon the teacher again and we would all laugh, but I remember feeling sad and hoping he would get the help he needed.
The recent forum at Okanagan Falls Elementary School was inspiring. Principal Lisa McCall and her staff are truly leading the way when it comes to early childhood intervention.
Anxiety and stress among children is a big problem today, and it’s preventing many kids from succeeding in school. That’s why it’s so crucial to help these kids early in life before they reach adulthood.
Kudos to the Okanagan Falls team for being a model for other schools in BC. They are truly making a difference.
Lyonel Doherty, editor
