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Experience Is The Greatest Teacher
#Forgotten Lessons
A School once famous for it's extensive teaching facilities, Nebula High was starting to decline because of a scandal caused by one of the teachers during the school's 10 years anniversary and as a result, parents began losing faith in the school, withdrawing their kids as a result. The situation wasn't helping the administration and they began to desperately hold one meeting after another with the intention of coming up with countermeasures to their predicament.
On one of these meetings, Ashley Burns, a woman in her early twenties with an oval shaped face and long light blue hair that reached all the way to her waist, came up with an idea, "Why don't we give the students a taste of the real world", "And what is that supposed to mean, Miss Burns?", Mr Caleb Richards, the principal of the school asked, his hands clasped close to his face with his elbows on the large mahogany table. Mr Richards was a round faced man in his mid thirties with brown hair, he had this look that said he was a man who had seen it all, so nothing could go past him unnoticed.
"We've only been given them theories of what the world is like and how they ought to act when they are out there, but most of them who haven't even been outside their houses tend to find the classes Abit confusing", Ashley said, "With the way things are now, I how confident are you that this plan of yours will succeed, I mean thanks to what Mr Cole pulled 5 years ago, we've lost a quarter of our students", Mrs Elena Smith, a middle aged woman said a bit worried, as she was responsible for the scandal as much as Mr Richards was, due to her position as the vice principal, "Mrs Smith, I said this because, most parents have little time for their children due to their tight work schedule, and as such the children have little or no experience with society, which is one of the hidden reasons why crimes are on the rise. But by exposing them now that they're in school, monitoring their activities, and guiding them through the whole process, we can ease the worries of the parents and also advertise the school through the results of this experiment, it's killing two birds with one stone", Ashley elaborated, the board was murmuring amongst themselves, and nodding, with Ashley looking at Mr Richards once in a while, "And how do you propose we begin this 'experiment' of yours" Mr. Jonathan Walters, a man in his late twenties and the new Dean of the school. Mr. Richard shifted his attention from Ashley to Jonathan as the atmosphere of the meeting began changing. "We've already started, we only need to up our game by adding more emphasis on what's expected of the students and placing them in our classes. We should make them see the world for what it is and guide them through it without letting them get caught in it's fangs, we can do this by having them participate in one or two jobs as community service, letting them experience how everyone looks for jobs, if course, we'll practice with them and let them get accustomed to the feeling so as to ease the anxiety. While we evaluate their composure during the interview, we should also give them corrections on where they lack so as to better prepare them for the real thing. Then we ought to carry out excursions to give the kids a sense of freedom and adventure, let them loose alittle from all the academics. If most if you feel like giving them a trivia on the trip, you're free to do so." Ashley finally concluded, taking her time to catch her breath while also watching her colleagues reaction to her suggestions. Everyone was surprised and for a moment started to discuss this amongst themselves, "It's a wonderful suggestion, Miss Burns, one that would benefit the school, the students and their parents, but have you considered the challenges this experiment might bring?" Mr Arnold Peters said, his intention set on trying to sabotage Ashley's suggestion as he was the type to laze about and avoid any thing that won't give him enjoyable moments, he looked at Ashley with a smirk, "Yes I have, the parents may not trust our intentions as this experiment is on the same page as the incident that caused this school scandal, but once we've emphasized in the benefits behind the experiment and what the children will stand to gain, I'm sure even you as a parent will be convinced", Ashley said, defending her cause, "It is like you said, this so called experiment of yours is similar to the incident that degraded this school, how confident are you that you won't make the same mistakes Mr Cole did and pull this school even deeper?", Mr Peters said, having got a case to present against Ashley, the whole room turned to her this time as Mr Peters had presented a valid point, how Ashley answered hereon would determine her future and that if her suggestion, she took a deep breath and said, "Mr Peters, you are well aware if the curriculum if this school, and as I said, the parents are likely not to trust us with their kids due to the problems that might arise In regards to your question, I will have you know that while I may not be the most experienced teacher present here, I am confident in my ability to take care if children, regardless of their personalities. Mr Cole was an ignorant teacher who not only neglected his students but also his duties as a teacher of his prestigious school, and unlike him, I know what is expected of me and I can assure everyone here that with your help, We'll turn not only the society's system but also the parent's mindset towards this school in another direction", Ashley said concluding her presentation, looking at Mr Peters she smiled sweetly and Mr Peters gritted his teeth in response, he began wondering how he was going to show everyone that Ashley's experiment won't work, "Thank you, Miss burns", Mr Richards said, earning a nod from Ashley, and then there was a round of applause, followed by hearty congratulations from her fellow colleagues.
The meeting ended after they had further discussions on how to make preparations for the next semester with Ashley's suggestion included, as they had all agreed to go along with Ashley with the hope that history won't repeat itself. Ashley suggested that experiment because she had already began employing it to the children in her neighborhood as most of them were students of the school, and they usually gather at her house for lessons and stories. She often used the avenue to answer whatever questions the kids may have on topics related to what she taught them and what she didn't.
There was a particular lesson Ashley had taught them two weeks that the students took an interest in:
Like any other day, the children gathered at the house to see Ashley, and as they were welcomed in the living room, she began her lesson, which wasn't actually a lesson but an advice, one that she had remembered a few days ago, "Experience is the greatest teacher", she pointed out. This was something that she had realized while growing up, and she had promised herself to teach it to the next generation, "What does it mean Miss Burns?", Elijah, one of the children asked, "It means that all the things you've been taught in school are like stories, while what you've seen, heard and done yourself are the real lessons", "I don't understand", Ellie said, her hand slightly shaken, "Take this, You were taught about a job or something that people do, but you only know how it works or what you should do, but you haven't actually done it, can you say you've learned about that job?", Ashley asked, they all chorused "Yes!!", and Ashley nodded in disagreement, "That knowledge you acquired in theory can never compare to the practical. Let's say you were told the recipe to preparing a dish, can you say you know how to prepare the dish when you haven't actually prepared it?", Ashley asked again, They all chorused'No!!' this time, Ashley asked why they had thought so, and John said, "Because in practicing the recipe, you can know if you actually got it right or if there's something you missed", "Yes, exactly, and once you're aware if that, you can work on it and get better. That's why we often say that practice makes perfect". A girl with freckles raised her hand, "Yes?", Ashley said, "Um...what if we don't have access to the practicals of what we were taught?", she said, her voice Abit tiny and shaky, but loud enough for Ashley to hear, "That's a good question Michelle, you can to your parents about the class and ask if they know where you can practice, or you can ask your teacher if it's possible to engage and practice it", Ashley said. She also pointed out other things that the children seemed to pay attention to intently.
When the new semester began, the school adopted Ashley's experiment, with Mr Peters throwing a rock or two into the process, after a couple of months, they went on their first practical class with the consent of the parents. The Experiment was a success, earning recognition from not only the parents but also the media and thus it became a new addition to the school's curriculum, which not only boosted the reputation of the school, earning them more audience from the new parents and scholars but it also changed the society, and the world at large, with the students who first participated in the experiment changing the world and it's residents.
Ashley had accomplished her aim and made a huge change to society, a few years later Nebula High rose from being prestigious to the top 5 best schools in the world. Ashley became recognized by her colleagues, and society to the point where she became the legend of the school, one that was remembered by generations to come.
© xander_60
A School once famous for it's extensive teaching facilities, Nebula High was starting to decline because of a scandal caused by one of the teachers during the school's 10 years anniversary and as a result, parents began losing faith in the school, withdrawing their kids as a result. The situation wasn't helping the administration and they began to desperately hold one meeting after another with the intention of coming up with countermeasures to their predicament.
On one of these meetings, Ashley Burns, a woman in her early twenties with an oval shaped face and long light blue hair that reached all the way to her waist, came up with an idea, "Why don't we give the students a taste of the real world", "And what is that supposed to mean, Miss Burns?", Mr Caleb Richards, the principal of the school asked, his hands clasped close to his face with his elbows on the large mahogany table. Mr Richards was a round faced man in his mid thirties with brown hair, he had this look that said he was a man who had seen it all, so nothing could go past him unnoticed.
"We've only been given them theories of what the world is like and how they ought to act when they are out there, but most of them who haven't even been outside their houses tend to find the classes Abit confusing", Ashley said, "With the way things are now, I how confident are you that this plan of yours will succeed, I mean thanks to what Mr Cole pulled 5 years ago, we've lost a quarter of our students", Mrs Elena Smith, a middle aged woman said a bit worried, as she was responsible for the scandal as much as Mr Richards was, due to her position as the vice principal, "Mrs Smith, I said this because, most parents have little time for their children due to their tight work schedule, and as such the children have little or no experience with society, which is one of the hidden reasons why crimes are on the rise. But by exposing them now that they're in school, monitoring their activities, and guiding them through the whole process, we can ease the worries of the parents and also advertise the school through the results of this experiment, it's killing two birds with one stone", Ashley elaborated, the board was murmuring amongst themselves, and nodding, with Ashley looking at Mr Richards once in a while, "And how do you propose we begin this 'experiment' of yours" Mr. Jonathan Walters, a man in his late twenties and the new Dean of the school. Mr. Richard shifted his attention from Ashley to Jonathan as the atmosphere of the meeting began changing. "We've already started, we only need to up our game by adding more emphasis on what's expected of the students and placing them in our classes. We should make them see the world for what it is and guide them through it without letting them get caught in it's fangs, we can do this by having them participate in one or two jobs as community service, letting them experience how everyone looks for jobs, if course, we'll practice with them and let them get accustomed to the feeling so as to ease the anxiety. While we evaluate their composure during the interview, we should also give them corrections on where they lack so as to better prepare them for the real thing. Then we ought to carry out excursions to give the kids a sense of freedom and adventure, let them loose alittle from all the academics. If most if you feel like giving them a trivia on the trip, you're free to do so." Ashley finally concluded, taking her time to catch her breath while also watching her colleagues reaction to her suggestions. Everyone was surprised and for a moment started to discuss this amongst themselves, "It's a wonderful suggestion, Miss Burns, one that would benefit the school, the students and their parents, but have you considered the challenges this experiment might bring?" Mr Arnold Peters said, his intention set on trying to sabotage Ashley's suggestion as he was the type to laze about and avoid any thing that won't give him enjoyable moments, he looked at Ashley with a smirk, "Yes I have, the parents may not trust our intentions as this experiment is on the same page as the incident that caused this school scandal, but once we've emphasized in the benefits behind the experiment and what the children will stand to gain, I'm sure even you as a parent will be convinced", Ashley said, defending her cause, "It is like you said, this so called experiment of yours is similar to the incident that degraded this school, how confident are you that you won't make the same mistakes Mr Cole did and pull this school even deeper?", Mr Peters said, having got a case to present against Ashley, the whole room turned to her this time as Mr Peters had presented a valid point, how Ashley answered hereon would determine her future and that if her suggestion, she took a deep breath and said, "Mr Peters, you are well aware if the curriculum if this school, and as I said, the parents are likely not to trust us with their kids due to the problems that might arise In regards to your question, I will have you know that while I may not be the most experienced teacher present here, I am confident in my ability to take care if children, regardless of their personalities. Mr Cole was an ignorant teacher who not only neglected his students but also his duties as a teacher of his prestigious school, and unlike him, I know what is expected of me and I can assure everyone here that with your help, We'll turn not only the society's system but also the parent's mindset towards this school in another direction", Ashley said concluding her presentation, looking at Mr Peters she smiled sweetly and Mr Peters gritted his teeth in response, he began wondering how he was going to show everyone that Ashley's experiment won't work, "Thank you, Miss burns", Mr Richards said, earning a nod from Ashley, and then there was a round of applause, followed by hearty congratulations from her fellow colleagues.
The meeting ended after they had further discussions on how to make preparations for the next semester with Ashley's suggestion included, as they had all agreed to go along with Ashley with the hope that history won't repeat itself. Ashley suggested that experiment because she had already began employing it to the children in her neighborhood as most of them were students of the school, and they usually gather at her house for lessons and stories. She often used the avenue to answer whatever questions the kids may have on topics related to what she taught them and what she didn't.
There was a particular lesson Ashley had taught them two weeks that the students took an interest in:
Like any other day, the children gathered at the house to see Ashley, and as they were welcomed in the living room, she began her lesson, which wasn't actually a lesson but an advice, one that she had remembered a few days ago, "Experience is the greatest teacher", she pointed out. This was something that she had realized while growing up, and she had promised herself to teach it to the next generation, "What does it mean Miss Burns?", Elijah, one of the children asked, "It means that all the things you've been taught in school are like stories, while what you've seen, heard and done yourself are the real lessons", "I don't understand", Ellie said, her hand slightly shaken, "Take this, You were taught about a job or something that people do, but you only know how it works or what you should do, but you haven't actually done it, can you say you've learned about that job?", Ashley asked, they all chorused "Yes!!", and Ashley nodded in disagreement, "That knowledge you acquired in theory can never compare to the practical. Let's say you were told the recipe to preparing a dish, can you say you know how to prepare the dish when you haven't actually prepared it?", Ashley asked again, They all chorused'No!!' this time, Ashley asked why they had thought so, and John said, "Because in practicing the recipe, you can know if you actually got it right or if there's something you missed", "Yes, exactly, and once you're aware if that, you can work on it and get better. That's why we often say that practice makes perfect". A girl with freckles raised her hand, "Yes?", Ashley said, "Um...what if we don't have access to the practicals of what we were taught?", she said, her voice Abit tiny and shaky, but loud enough for Ashley to hear, "That's a good question Michelle, you can to your parents about the class and ask if they know where you can practice, or you can ask your teacher if it's possible to engage and practice it", Ashley said. She also pointed out other things that the children seemed to pay attention to intently.
When the new semester began, the school adopted Ashley's experiment, with Mr Peters throwing a rock or two into the process, after a couple of months, they went on their first practical class with the consent of the parents. The Experiment was a success, earning recognition from not only the parents but also the media and thus it became a new addition to the school's curriculum, which not only boosted the reputation of the school, earning them more audience from the new parents and scholars but it also changed the society, and the world at large, with the students who first participated in the experiment changing the world and it's residents.
Ashley had accomplished her aim and made a huge change to society, a few years later Nebula High rose from being prestigious to the top 5 best schools in the world. Ashley became recognized by her colleagues, and society to the point where she became the legend of the school, one that was remembered by generations to come.
© xander_60
