Wednesday, February 11, 2009

School Days and Projects

If you look at the calendar, today looks to be an ordinary day. February 11, a Wednesday, the middle of the week.

But apparently, teachers view this day as the Perfect Day for Major Projects Due. Last night our living room was a beehive of activity as my boy had a major English project due and he was busily wiring objects to his display board.

Meanwhile, my girl had her poster completed illustrating linear equations with various intercepting, parallel, or sloping lines and was busily identifying them and creating and solving the corresponding word problems.

Fortunately the rain that started about bedtime had stopped by the time the projects needed to be carried into the school. There was only about a 15 mph wind to contend with!

Ah, the wonderful days of school projects. It reminds me of the infamous "Critical Review" of a novel we had to do my junior year in high school. Along with a written report on the novel, we each had to do an oral presentation with a visual aid. One of the brainiest guys in the class had made an incredible model of The House of the Seven Gables for his report. The teacher (who was the absolute best teacher I ever had and I still keep in touch with her) was delighted and practically drooling over the idea of keeping that masterpiece in her classroom as an example for years to come.

I've never read the book, but I will never forget that, as he finished his presentation, he took his hand and in one fell swoop destroyed the house. I don't know if the story ends with the house's destruction or what the significance was. I just remember the horrified look on the teacher's face when it was reduced to a pile of rubble.

Sort of the way my living room looked after my kids finished their projects. . . .


Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

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7 comments:

Patrice and Higgins said...

Oh how I loath school projects! During the Thanksgiving break was when all the teachers at our highschool thought it would be a joyful time to assign them. Oh how mad I was! Give me a break, I ended up doing the poster to a three part project for my son, becuase not only did he have a project, it was three parts, written, poster and written news article. I wanted to go chew that lady out! Hubby talked me out of it, because she was a new mom with a baby at home, and he said one day, her baby would be in highschool.....hopefully, she will have a thoughless teacher!

Sorry this turned into a soapbox moment for me, I must still be a tad bitter! He he!

Lisa Spence said...

I hate projects, even the making of the Valentine box, which I will (help) do this year and next year and then I'm so DONE as I will no longer have a child of Valentine exchanging age! yes, and amen!

2nd Cup of Coffee said...

Ah, the projects, they are behind me. Baby is 16 and 100% responsible now. As i said, "aaahhhh."

Skoots1moM said...

i've watched "catapults" and "mousetrap" cars being made this year for physics...otherwise, we're done with those younger projects...thank goodness!!

Mel said...

School projects were a stress for me as a kid, and an even bigger stress as a parent...

Xandra@Heart-of-Service said...

I was never a procrastenator in school except when it came to school project. Ughh. The thought of them makes me itch...

Xandra

A Stone Gatherer said...

I'm sorry but that equation scares me!! How old is your daughter again?!