How to deal with a curmudgeon

[notownkid]

I guess the master question here is How did this get off track, little or nothing to do with Welding or Curmudgeons.  And what dealing with Curmudgeons is on a welding forum also is way out of place.  

It appears we need Glenn to set up a Curmudgeon Forum  on IFI then all of us could learn about them  What is a Curmudgeon?  How does one become one, is there a class for this? (other than the school of hard knocks), How do we know if we are one and what rank are we beginner, Professional or Master.  Are there Curmudgeons in other fields than Blacksmithing and Knife makers?  Rats after all this I've learned how to spell CRUMUDGEON just what I needed! 

[Charles R. Stevens]

Thanks for the laugh, Notownkid! 

Tho their are bad teachers, most are good folks doing a thankless job. Like Frosty points out, it's administrative imbalance and feel good thinking that is killing us. Give me a few Army and Marine Drill instructors and I'll whip your kids (and schools) in shape!

 

[Frosty]

Ah, a succinct to the point question question Notownkid, something a curmudgeon can appreciate and sink out teeth into. I could be wrong, I am all the time, but curmudgeons generally realize they are one after answering enough stupid lazy "fanny" questions they start telling the questioner what they really need to know.

It just occurred to me maybe I WAS home schooled at least where it counted. My Mother attended PTA meetings and I remember being drug along often enough I started doing just enough the teachers wouldn't tell Mother I wasn't doing well. The time a teacher told Mother I was below average intelligence because I wasn't learning to read with the other kids in class was the last time I wanted a teacher telling Mother anything. The look on her face when a teacher told her HER child was below average intelligence was heart breaking and the beginning of Mother and Dad's program. There were the flash cards then Mother brought a book home from the library. Flash cards suck as a reading teaching tool, especially if your kid is just flat board reading Dick and Jane.

I remember that event in my life clearly. She came home from work, I greeted her at the door like I always did. She greeted me, gave me my big hug and kiss then opened her purse and handed me a book."Look Jerry a space ship." The name of that book was, "The Spaceship Under The Apple Tree."

When Mother checked a couple days later I remember just as clearly, maybe more so, the look of disappointment on her face when she saw I was on page 13. "Is that all the farther you've gotten" she asked. I thought I was in trouble, I didn't know I wasn't supposed to read a book more than once and said so. She smiled and said, "No you read read a book as many times as you want to." The next day she came home and after kisses and hugs she got another book out of her book and said, "When you want to , read THIS book." and handed me, "The Dinosaur of Walnut Canyon." When you're done with that one tell me I'll get you another and as many as you want.

It wasn't long before we moved to a place about a block from a public library and she showed me how to find books in the library, introduced me to the librarian an told me she WOULD help me by SHOWING me how to use the library NOT just getting books for me. I remember the librarian looking a little worried Mother might have to visit again.

They had to hammer math into my head but teaching me to read was easy all Mother had to do was find something I liked and show me how to find that in the library. I taught myself to read. In less than a year Mother showed the teacher who told her I was below average intelligence my test scores, I was reading above college level in 4th grade.

I've had really good luck helping kids learn to read by finding what THEY were interested in and showing them how to find where to find it. The more you read ad the ore you WANT to understand what you're reading the better you get. That's a NO brainer isn't it?

Anyway, I guess I was home schooled where it counted, reading. I've felt pretty self taught after that. If you can read you can teach yourself ANYTHING. I  did and do. Maybe having to teach myself in spite of something like 14 YEARS of public schools is a good step on the curmudgeon trail.

Take what you can and keep what you can. IS a natural law, nice, fair, etc. has nothing to do with it. Living with what you think Should be makes you a Should Head."

Frosty The Disgusted.

[Charles R. Stevens]

I have life long friends and mentored who were my teachers, and others who I wouldn't give the time of day,

I started out struggling to read, as I had lazy eye and a lazy teacher, second time threw first grade (two weeks in and the teacher calls mom to have my eyes checked out) imagine "I started out struggling to read" supperimposed over "two weeks in the teacher calls". Got that straitened out and I was off and running. 

Reading, great, math, good, spelling... Yea not so much. Got a lot of "F's" from Mr. Whitehead.

[mcostello]

I think I am a natural born curmudgeon, don't seem to have to work at it at all.

[notownkid]

On 4/2/2016 at 2:43 PM, mcostello said:

I think I am a natural born curmudgeon, don't seem to have to work at it at all.

During a 4 hr road trip today I was telling my wife about the Curmudgeon topic and after my long winded explanation was over she looked at me and Said "Honey you are one already and I would judge a Master level!".  Then tonight eating out with my brother and sister in law she told them about it and they agreed.  Been a bad day first I learned how to spell Curmudgeon and what they are and now I find I is one.  Really hate to see what tomorrow brings.  At least three people are off my Christmas list.   

make that 4, I adjusted your title

[Charles R. Stevens]

I'd call it high praise, move them to the top. Especially your wife, any woman who loves the like of you and I is bucking for sainthood