School Days, School Days
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
How to cut classes.
How it feels to get kicked in the face.
I’d like to say imaginary numbers, but I do use that knowledge everyday.
How to speak German. My (Catholic) high school had French, Spanish and German classes to choose from. The German class was taught by a layman who, as a kid, had escaped from East Germany with his family in the 1950s before the Berlin Wall was built. My brother took his class and liked him so I did the same. It was an enjoyable class but ultimately the only thing I still remember from it is how to pray the Our Father and Hail Mary in German (he started each class with those prayers). So I could lead a Rosary in German if necessary but I have never had occasion to do so.
Geometry proofs.
Marching. The only time I commanded a color guard was at graduation.
Considering how little they taught overall that’s a difficult question 🤣
Differential Calculus
I would have said Algebra. Then my two high schooler have needed help with their homework and I was surprised how much I remembered! I hated Algebra as a high schooler but I enjoy it as an adult. If I had my time over I wish I can do highschool Maths again – I think I would be pretty ok at it.
I understood the physics of pullies just long enough to pass the test. I forgot it and never looked back.
As a retired chemistry teacher, I may have to disagree with Don on specifics, but these postings lead to two legitimate questions:
“Gegrusset seitz du Maria, voll der Gnade, der Herr is mit dir. Du bist gebenedeit unter den Weibern, und gebenedeit ist die Frucht deines Liebes, Jesus. Heilige Maria, Mutter Gottes, bitte fur uns Sunder jeszt und in der Stunde unseres Todes. Amen.”
“Vater unser, der du bist in Himmel, geheliget verde dein Name. Zun uns komme deine Reich, dein Wille geschehe, wie im Himmel, also auf Erden. Unser tägliches Brot gib uns heute. Und vergib uns unsere Schuld, wie auch wir vergeben unsern Schuldigern; und führe uns nicht in Versuchung, sondern erlöse uns von dem Ubel. Amen.”
Quadratic equation
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I strongly disagree with how math is taught in this country. Business (or market place) math/taxes and basic geometric equations (how to calculate area etc) should be hammered home. Budgeting. Loans (especially student loans!), interest and payoffs. Stocks, etc.
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Algebra II and above can be handled by those folks who know they are going into the sciences, maths, and engineering. The rest of us don’t really need it, and the time spent doing those problems is time spent not calculating taxes and understanding how to read a pay stub, and filing out a 1040.
Geometry, for one.
School was never fun for me..least of all college, which felt like a jail sentence, I have some good memories of certain junior high and high school teachers who made class a pleasant experience. Mr. Marek in World History, Mr. Hostetler in Civics, Mr. Keegan in American Government, Mr. Hogan in Science…I will always remember them fondly.
At the end of the last school year, I found a paper on the floor of my son’s bedroom. It was a workpaper about the Civil War. I suddenly got sentimenal, and thought about being in a classroom talking about the Civil War instead of doing insurance company accounting and reporting…what if I could, for just one day, escape the responsibilities of adulthood..but there is never any going back.
The best days of one’s life are what one makes of them. High school can be good times but it is a sad life if they are the best.
The Donation of Pepin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTTaVnZyG2g
Thanks Don! Now, nothing I learned in high school has gone to waste!🤣
How to throw a cut fastball.
4th year math was analysis. Had no interest and no use for it in adult life. Oddly enough 4 yrs of Latin and 2 of French have come in handy.