ROLLING INTO THE FUTURE

I WANT TO WISH ALL OF YOU WHO FOLLOW “ROLLING INTO THE FUTURE” A HAPPY FALL SEASON. I’M SURE MANY OF YOU LIKE MYSELF HAS REALLY STUGGLED DURING THESE 18 MONTHS OF COVID. THERE HAVE BEEN MUCH SUFFERING BECAUSE SICKNESS, AND LOST OF LOVE ONES. MANY PEOPLE HAVE EITHER LOST THEIR JOBS, OR HAD TO DO THEIR JOBS AT HOME. EVEN CHILDREN HAD TO DO THEIR SCHOOL WORK AT HOME. THIS COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED BY EACH TEACHER’S COMPUTERS BEING CONNECTED WITH THE COMPUTERS THE STUDENTS IN THEIR HOMES. THIS SYSTEM WORKED AS A WAY FOR STUDENTS TO COMPLETE THE WORK TO BE PERMOTTED TO THE NEXT GRADE, OR FOR SENIORS TO GRADUATE. THIS CERTAINLY WASN’T THE IDEAL SCHOOL YEAR FOR TEACHERS, STUDENTS NOR PARENTS, BUT IT WORKED. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT MISSING FROM THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR BOTH THE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. THIS WAS THE NEED OF PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TEACHERS AND THEIR STUDENTS WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT. ANOTHER ASPECT OF THIS VIRTAL LEARNING THAT IS VITAL TO CHILDREN’S EDUCATION IS THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH THEIR FRIENDS. OFTEN TIMES FRIENDSHIPS MADE DURING CHILDREN’S SCHOOL YEARS DEVELOPED INTO LIFE LONG FRIENDSHIPS.

THIS ISSUE IS VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART. HAVING BEEN BORN IN 1949 WITH CERBRAL PALSY WHEN I REACHED SCHOOL AGE THE SCHOO; BULDINGS WEREN’T EQUIPPED FOR WHEELCHAIR. I WENT TO A SCHOOL IN ASHEVILLE FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN. I WENT THROUGH THE FOURTH GRADE. I WAS VERY HOMESICK BEING AWAY FROM MY FAMILY. I BORROWRED BOOKS FROM THE LOCAL SCHOOL FROM THE FIFTH THROUGH THE EIGHTH GRADE AND STUDIED AT HOME. I RECIEVED MY HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION BY TAKING COURSES THROUGH THE MAIL. FROM THE FOURTH GRADE THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL I DID NOT HAVE TEACHERS WHOM I COULD ASKED QUESTIONS. NEITHER DID I HAVE ANY FRIENDS. LATTER IN LIFE I RECIEVED MY DEGREE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EUDCATION FROM SCC. THIS WAS MY FIRST EXPECIENCE HAVING A TEACHER TO GUIDE ME.THIS WAS ALSO MY FIRST TIME TO MAKE FRIENDS. I AM IN CONTACT WITH SEVERAL OF THESE FRIENDS TODAY FOURTY YEARS LATER.
THEREFORE, I REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW NOT BEING IN A CLASSROOM SETTING CREATES STRESS FOR THEACHERS, PARENTS AND STUDENTS. MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH ALL OF YOU.

Wanda Mills, Poet, Public Speaker, Creative Writerrollingintothefuture.com