Wednesday 16 June 2010

VCB 08: Fated, waited, matriculated

This blog is about high school and was inspired by an Owlssayhooot (Kayley) video. She is graduating from high school on Friday and reminisced about some stand out moments. (Side note - in the UK you don't graduate except for at private school. At regular schools you just don't come back after exams... and that is it). Anyway have a watch and then carry on reading:



So like a lot of people who truly understand the value of a good education high school was pretty awful for me. I am not if I would have gone, given the choice, because who wants to go a place where everyone labels you. Teachers label you are a 'good' or 'bad' student (me being the former) and the popular kids labelling you 'nerdy' or 'cool' (also the former).

Unfortunately back in those days - it is 8 years since I finished compulsory education at aged 16... wow I feel old all of a sudden - I didn't have the internet in the same way I do now. I am now part of a community that is dedicated to helping people feel included; that tells you that whoever you are is awesome, and that nerdy isn't something to be ashamed of. I wish someone told me that sooner.

For most of my time at high school I was bullied with teachers really not caring two squits about it. For example one time some girls threw metal cans at me during a lunchbreak. I told our head of year - as all good children are meant to do - and she said she would talk to them about it. When she came back to me she said: "Well they said that you actually threw cans at them. I think this is six of one and half a dozen of the other". Oh how I wish I was joking. I don't even think I could be bothered to argue. I just put up with it after that.

Of course I did have some amazing friends at school and with them I formed some awesome memories whether that be listening to Eminem in my friend's back garden full blast, having sleepovers with copious amounts of Chinese takeaway, wearing red pyjamas to school to fundraise or inventing a style of dance based on the movement of a crab in the art rooms. But in a nutshell (how did I get into this nutshell?), and to refer to my title today: as a nerdy girl with glasses I was fated to be teased; then I waited high school out; then I matriculated.

Going into Sixth Form felt so different - like a whole new world (stop thinking of Aladdin) of school and education. If you don't know Sixth Form is the two years of school post compulsory age i.e. when you are 17-18 years old. Because the people who were in Sixth Form had chosen to be there the social segregation and labelling died off a bit.

This was a time of happier memories probably due to not having to wear a school uniform and being able to go home whe you didn't have classes. It was a time of discovering my indepence, my style and the type of person I want to be. Of course it took me until I discovered Vlogbrothers and Vlogtag (the best collab channel in the world) to truly learn who I was: me.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT SUBJECT WOULD YOU TEACH AT HIGH SCHOOL?
My answer: I would either teach film/media studies (sine I have a first class degree in it now) or probably art! I at least know I could do better than my high school art department who didn't even have canvases, tubes of watercolour, oil paints, or any kind of teaching of techniques. But I still love art!

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Music Appreciation

Beth said...

I would teach English/Reading/Writing in high school, since I have a degree in it (and will hopefully have my master's in it in a year). I'm actually considering *really* doing it as my job, but I don't know that teaching is my passion.

I had the same experience of being labeled in high school as a "nerd." I distinctly remember my first year (I was 14 at the time) riding the bus to school. I was the last stop and didn't have a friend on the bus, and so I would always have to ask someone to sit next to them. The others were pretty mean, and I remember asking the wrong girl one time. The whole ride to school she was talking about me as if I wasn't there. How I dressed like a "clown," was ugly, etc. I got off the bus and cried. Luckily, as time went on in high school, being a part of the marching band actually really made a huge difference. I started to make friends with kids who enjoyed music and dorky things like I did. And yeah, I'll quit rambling, but I can completely relate to not loving those years. <3

PinkPixieDF (Heather) said...

I would probably teach a math like algebra or geometry. I don't particularly love these subjects, but when I was in highschool, I tutored a lot of my friends in these subjects for the exit exams. Also, Helen, I am sad that you had bad experiences in school with the labeling and inconsiderate teachers. I was lucky enough to go to art schools for 9 of my 12 years of grade school. Students had to audition to go to the schools I went to, so we were all there by choice and we had fun. I'm glad you had a better experience in Sixth Form. This was a great post, it brings back a lot of memories.

A.J. James said...

I think I would either teach history or Drama/theatre

As still to this day those are the things I wish I was still doing every day... Awesome post love!!!

Helen Brooks said...

@Marry Nice!

@Beth I think you would make an excellent teacher! And I would always sit next to you on the bus. Happily!

@Heather I would have loved to go to art school. I considered doing an art degree but I was scared I wouldn't be good enough!

@JooJoo Hows the British history coming along? I will test you on the history book I got you come next Xmas. Better get studying.

Julie H said...

Would have to be food technology, children need to learn how to cook good food and bake chocolate cake!

Helen Brooks said...

@Julie - Aw, that's so cute. That would be fun!