Another incredible episode, Claire—thank you so much! You have no idea how inspiring and uplifting these podcasts are. This week, I especially loved the advice on incorporating multiple languages. I’ve been introducing my 2-year-old to Spanish (even though I’m not fluent myself!), and it felt so encouraging to hear his perspective.
I’m also adding the two book recommendations to my reading list. I’ll read both books for mom and dad lol. Funny enough, just last week I had a moment where I wondered if I was in over my head—but this episode completely refilled my cup. Grateful for you!
So, I had to quote the book on the fly, but here is the real quote... at least the first part of it. It combines several of the things we talked about:
(I recommend reading the whole chapter, but Substack doesn't like me posting so much in a comment.)
After the lesson the teacher said, smiling, “Well, Betsy, you were right about your arithmetic. I guess you’d better recite with Eliza for a while. She’s doing second-grade work. I shouldn’t be surprised if, after a good review with her, you’d be able to go on with the third-grade work.”
Elizabeth Ann fell back on the bench with her mouth open. She felt really dizzy. What crazy things the teacher said! She felt as though she was being pulled limb from limb.
“What’s the matter?” asked the teacher, seeing her bewildered face.
“Why—why,” said Elizabeth Ann, “I don’t know what I am at all. If I’m second-grade arithmetic and seventh-grade reading and third-grade spelling, what grade am I?”
The teacher laughed at the turn of her phrase. “you aren’t any grade at all, no matter where you are in school. You’re just yourself, aren’t you? What difference does it make what grade you’re in! And what’s the use of your reading little baby things too easy for you just because you don’t know your multiplication table?”
“Well, for goodness’ sakes!” ejaculated Elizabeth Ann, feeling very much as though somebody had stood her suddenly on her head.
“Why, what’s the matter?” asked the teacher again.
This time Elizabeth Ann didn’t answer, because she herself didn’t know what the matter was. But I do, and I’ll tell you. The matter was that never before had she known what she was doing in school. She had always thought she was there to pass from one grade to another, and she was ever so startled to get a little glimpse of the fact that she was there to learn how to read and write and cipher and generally use her mind, so she could take care of herself when she came to be grown-up. Of course, she didn’t really know that till she did come to be grown-up, but she had her first dim notion of it in that moment, and it made her feel the way you do when you’re learning to skate and somebody pulls away the chair you’ve been leaning on and says, “Now, go it alone!”
Another incredible episode, Claire—thank you so much! You have no idea how inspiring and uplifting these podcasts are. This week, I especially loved the advice on incorporating multiple languages. I’ve been introducing my 2-year-old to Spanish (even though I’m not fluent myself!), and it felt so encouraging to hear his perspective.
I’m also adding the two book recommendations to my reading list. I’ll read both books for mom and dad lol. Funny enough, just last week I had a moment where I wondered if I was in over my head—but this episode completely refilled my cup. Grateful for you!
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Two is a GREAT time to get the kid learning Spanish!
So, I had to quote the book on the fly, but here is the real quote... at least the first part of it. It combines several of the things we talked about:
from: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5347/pg5347-images.html
(Public Domain)
CHAPTER V
WHAT GRADE IS BETSY?
(I recommend reading the whole chapter, but Substack doesn't like me posting so much in a comment.)
After the lesson the teacher said, smiling, “Well, Betsy, you were right about your arithmetic. I guess you’d better recite with Eliza for a while. She’s doing second-grade work. I shouldn’t be surprised if, after a good review with her, you’d be able to go on with the third-grade work.”
Elizabeth Ann fell back on the bench with her mouth open. She felt really dizzy. What crazy things the teacher said! She felt as though she was being pulled limb from limb.
“What’s the matter?” asked the teacher, seeing her bewildered face.
“Why—why,” said Elizabeth Ann, “I don’t know what I am at all. If I’m second-grade arithmetic and seventh-grade reading and third-grade spelling, what grade am I?”
The teacher laughed at the turn of her phrase. “you aren’t any grade at all, no matter where you are in school. You’re just yourself, aren’t you? What difference does it make what grade you’re in! And what’s the use of your reading little baby things too easy for you just because you don’t know your multiplication table?”
“Well, for goodness’ sakes!” ejaculated Elizabeth Ann, feeling very much as though somebody had stood her suddenly on her head.
“Why, what’s the matter?” asked the teacher again.
This time Elizabeth Ann didn’t answer, because she herself didn’t know what the matter was. But I do, and I’ll tell you. The matter was that never before had she known what she was doing in school. She had always thought she was there to pass from one grade to another, and she was ever so startled to get a little glimpse of the fact that she was there to learn how to read and write and cipher and generally use her mind, so she could take care of herself when she came to be grown-up. Of course, she didn’t really know that till she did come to be grown-up, but she had her first dim notion of it in that moment, and it made her feel the way you do when you’re learning to skate and somebody pulls away the chair you’ve been leaning on and says, “Now, go it alone!”
It was fun to be interviewed :)