Back to School

This week has been characterized by a "back to school" theme. I began teaching on Monday and Lillian and Aiden started at the local public school on Wednesday (pic above is on our landing before heading to school). On to a few notes: 

·      * I've been very pleased with the transition my students have made from party-going tourist to serious student during this week. I set some very high expectations for them, not just for academic performance but also for professional commitment to their own learning. Thus far, they have more than risen to the occasion.  In one of my classes we are discussing moral theory and health ethics. Our class yesterday was very spirited, and my challenge will be to create a framework for healthy discussion rather than Jerry Springer shenanigans.

·      * We had 3 students and the RA to dinner last night. We have planned weekly meals with 3-4 students each Weds night. If the rest of the dinners are like last night's gathering, then this will be a very fruitful semester. Annamae and I are learning a great deal about the students, and they have seemed interested in getting to know us better. I'm always surprised when 19 year olds express interest in hanging out with "old" people with kids. I tend to envy their independence and they seem to envy our community. I hope this continues because it really is the aspect of teaching that gives me the most satisfaction.

·     *  We found spots for Lillian and Aiden at the public school that is about 5 blocks away (a 9-minute walk). Aiden was very apprehensive about going. He tends to have a lower fear threshold, but once he breaks through he is really quite courageous and amazing. Yesterday was no different. He didn't want to go to school. Once there he didn't want to stay. The teacher very strategically said that he could just sit with his parents and watch the kids in gym class. Once he realized that the kids were all very sweet and normal, and once Annamae sweetened the deal by throwing in a chocolate Kinder Egg to go along with the Hero Factory set he would get for staying in school for two weeks, he decided to follow the class to their next period. This morning he woke up and couldn't wait to get to school. That is my Aiden. He needs some pushing to get out of his comfort zone, but once he's there he does not turn back. And he is just so darn cute. I learned yesterday that flirting has a universal language; little girls were vying for Aiden's attention!

·     *  Lillian was a different story. Indeed, the main impetus for our putting the kids in school was the fact that Lillian desperately wanted to go. Well, this is coupled with the fact that after two weeks together in our apartment we were becoming an in-grown family. Aiden and Matthew together was a volatile mix: 3 parts foolishness, 2 parts testosterone, and 1 part mischievousness and you get the picture. And Lillian was also a contributing factor, so you can throw in a little estrogen and control-demand tendencies. School was not so much an option as it was a necessity. Anyway, back to Lillian. When we visited her classroom she walked right in, was introduced by the teacher, and just grabbed a seat. She was almost AGGRESSIVE in pursuing this opportunity. I stood behind her and couldn't help but feel that I was watching my daughter grow up right in front of my eyes! The hard part for me wasn't sending our daughter to her first school as much as realizing that it was time to let a part of her go. I was both extremely proud and undeniably melancholic. I guess all parents cross this bridge at some point in their lives.  I just thought my life had a little more time before I got here.

·      * The school is quite a contrast to the schools I've visited in the U.S. First, kids are not allowed to wear shoes in the school. Upon entering the school they put on house shoes. The principle said our kids could just buy some "cheap" ones from the shoe store. They were 30 euros! The kids then keep the slippers in a little bag at school. Second, the kids are very well behaved. The teachers I observed never raised their voices above a normal conversational tone. This has the effect of forcing listeners to be very quiet so they can hear. We have actually found our kids have become less loud and boisterous, especially on buses and trains. They are no less happy; rather, they have accommodated to the noise of their environment. Third, Annamae described buying school supplies as a combination of what life was like when we were kids and a Harry Potter wand shop experience. You basically go to the school supply store, bring your list, and the person starts filling your basket. You don't find a Walmart or Target and stock up on supplies. Most places are mom and pop shops. I actually REALLY like this. Finally, and perhaps most bizarrely, the kids do not change into gym clothes in a separate locker room. The boys and girls stand in a room just outside the gym and strip down to their undies. They have a little gym bag with shorts and t-shirt that they put on (no shoes) and hit the gym floor. The girls and boys seemed to have no reservations about being nearly naked in front of each other, and they really took no notice of anyone else. After school little boys could be observed walking hand-in-hand down the street. Neither of these examples has sexual connotations. Rather, it is just a difference in gender roles that are formed from an early age.

·      * My last note for what is becoming a very long blog entry is that we are still looking for a Kindergarten for Matthew. He is very sweet when you get him alone, but he also spends most of the day either asking for chocolate or when Aiden will be home. Unfortunately, private Kindergarten's are very expensive (like 400 euros a month!). I love my son, but not enough to go into debt so he can be a little less bothersome or bored.

·      We hope you all are well!

--
Steven M. Giles, PhD

Associate Professor

Department of Communication

Wake Forest University

310 Carswell Hall

Winston-Salem, NC 27109

336.758.4442

336.758.4691 (fax)