Wednesday 28 March 2012

Everyone is a teacher

Yes, you are. You are a teacher to my children. You, and you. You too.

You are all teachers to my children of something, so sodding well make it positive. No sour faces, grimaces, scowls, judging stares or irritated questions about why the kids aren't at school. Remember, I can do all that at home. We come to you for something different.

When we come to meet you all in the shops, high streets, museums, discovery centres, parks and everywhere you sit or stand, you're teaching my children something about the world you live in, and you're teaching us about you.

Enjoy your moment in meeting us. Take us to interesting and thought-provoking places when you talk. Teach us what you've done and what you're proud about. Tell us stories, and make us laugh.

Thanks to the welcoming people teaching us about lives and ways of living at Frogmore Paper Mill, my children today have their heads and hearts filled up with knowledge.

We're taken to join compositors and typesetters in the 1950s print trade; we're given nineteenth century steam presses to watch over; we're led out of the French Revolution to the streets of London; we're given vats of pulped rags to stir in our imaginings.

Thank you to the people of Frogmore Paper Mill for being the teachers of my children today.




2 comments:

MadameSmokinGun said...

I know someone who actively says this to the people she meets who ask 'No school today?' She says 'You are the teacher and this is the classroom.' Then she sweetly stares at them. I think this is very funny....

Irene said...

We really don't have home schooling in the Netherlands. I wouldn't know what to do if presented with a parent and a child during the day either. It's such an alien concept here that I would be surprised. I probably wouldn't know what to say or would have too much to ask. xox