Photograph Stevenston Higher Grade staff 1960

[5eulbdog7]

Billy Brown taught geography and english and was ancient. I think you could contiue to teach after 65 in those days. I would imagine he died in the seventies. As a matter of fact he fought in the first word war.

[Meg]

Billy Brown taught geography and english and was ancient. I think you could contiue to teach after 65 in those days. I would imagine he died in the seventies. As a matter of fact he fought in the first word war.

You can still teach past 65 today, in fact some of the younger teachers wont have any choice, they will have to work til they are 67.

[5eulbdog7]

Thanks for that Meg i was just trying to ascrertain Billy Brown's age. I doubt if there are many teachers to-day who will want to continue past 65. I remember my last term of prep and we had this lovely old lady who must have been in her seventies. She was so enthusiastic and we loved her. She enthralled us with the story of Elsa the lionness, her passion was so infectious. One day she asked the class,"does anyone know the sound a woodpigeon makes?" I replied "coo." She said yes but they also have a note that sounds like,"tak twa coos davey tak" She then proceeded to tell the story that happened in one off the border raids. A scottish guy was coming back from a raid with a cow he had stolen. When he entered a wood he heard this bird telling him to take two cows so he went back over the border but was caught and hanged. I suspect some of to-days kids would just laugh at her.

[Meg]

?..one day she asked the class,"does anyone know the sound a woodpigeon makes?" I replied "coo." She said yes but they also have a note that sounds like,"tak twa coos davey tak" She then proceeded to tell the story that happened in one off the border raids. A scottish guy was coming back from a raid with a cow he had stolen. When he entered a wood he heard this bird telling him to take two cows so he went back over the border but was caught and hanged. I suspect some of to-days kids would just laugh at her.

Actually Bill, it would surprise you. I am a mine of useless information and have been known to go off at a tangent (I can hear George laughing at that, he thinks I talk in hypertext) but the kids love stories like the one your teacher told. These stories are golden nuggets to expand their general knowledge - something that is sadly lacking in the curriculum, but a lot of which used to be contained in the First Aid in English books. A whole lesson was lifted out of this ancient tome just before the end of last term, all starting with someone saying they saw a lot of crows prompting me to ask what the collective word was for a lot of crows .... (Answer is a 'murder' by the way), so we went investigating other collectives. Sometimes children enjoy just being told a story, you obviously did

[5eulbdog7]

Yes Meg, that's lovely but it depends on the age of the children, i was 12 when mrs Nairn told us about the woodpigeon. Life is so different to-day and kids of that age no longer have that innocence they are subjected to so much filth.

[Meg]

These children were Primary 7 too Bill, and I have to say their thirst for knowledge and enthusiasm to find out more was infectious. Please dont tar all kids with the same brush, even in a school that is acknowledged as a 'hard shift' the majority of the kids are hard working and great fun.

Meg

[morag]

Like you Meg, a mine of trivia, when I can remember! I found too my school kids whether I was a volunteer or teacher, loved anecdotal stories. A little 7 year old black girl, both parents were doctors, adopted a Scottish accent, much to their amusement. As parents, educators or just plain folk, we make a difference, hopefully a good one.

[5eulbdog7]

With respect, not all parents care what their children are up to and many twelve year olds are watching hard core pornography so lets not kid ourselves. I do believe that for many chidren their innocents has been taken from them.

[morag]

While I believe that's true, my kids have told me I'm naive, I do hope most kids are still innocent and deserve to be trusting well looked after etc. Maybe I am the naive doofus my kids see..kind hearted, charitable..boy, what a way to go..I realise this has nothing to do with the higher grade staff but as often, we diverge.