Saturday, April 14, 2012

A Day in Elementary School

I spent a day as a volunteer Dad at Ethan's school on Friday. I was part of a program they call Watch D.O.G.S.. Who knew that I was a hero of the hallways.

I learned a lot about education in America today as I saw first hand the over crowded and dirty classrooms that are part to public education. That learning can occur is really a testament to the dedicated teachers who struggle in these less than ideal conditions.

I noticed a few things during the day that show how much life has changed since I was in elementary school not just a few decades ago.

Lunch boxes have really changed. I remember metal lunch boxes in the shape of school busses or with the some Disney characters on them. The boxes are now canvass and probably work a lot better. They are adorned with current heroes and movies. The most popular among the boys is Clone Wars--I saw five boys sitting together all with Clone Wars lunch boxes.

The noise is deafening. Everywhere it seems the noise is at levels equal to that of jet engines.

Security is serious. One of my jobs was to ensure every door in the school was locked. I was amazed how many outside doors there are in a school. And I found an insecure door which I immediately secured.

I found the pace of the day slow--and that is not bad. I was able to stroll outside in the sun for a couple of hours during the beautiful day--something that I never would have been able to do at my regular job. So yeah, I enjoyed it.

As a trained Watch D.O.G.S., I expect to volunteer again. It was nice to get to know the administration and the teachers at the school.

It was a great day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

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