In the Olden Days

Art deco building from the 1930s by Val Mills
By Val
@valmnz (17099)
New Zealand
June 22, 2016 2:52am CST
At school this week I taught a class a spelling game they'd not been introduced to before. It's a game I've always found popular, no matter what the age group, as it can be adapted. These kids enjoyed it so much I decided when writing time came they could write about the game, explaining how it was played and commenting on their own reaction to it. One student's efforts made me smile. He started his piece of writing, In the olden days there was a game. Okay, I get the hint. These kids have a young teacher and, to them, I must definitely seem a relic from the olden days.
19 people like this
22 responses
@LadyDuck (458192)
• Switzerland
22 Jun 16
Oh my Val, I know we are considered relics from the past by the young people. I cannot get used to the idea that I am no more 30 years old.
3 people like this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Jun 16
At least the boy was only ten so I would have looked like his grandmother
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458192)
• Switzerland
23 Jun 16
@valmnz You are right, when they are so young they are justified.
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17714)
• South Africa
22 Jun 16
ha ha - my kids always say, that was before we got TV - that is the olden days for them but they still skip in Ballet class - I wonder how many kids can still skip?
2 people like this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
24 Jun 16
@Inlemay that is really sad. How can they develop the skills to be successful Springboks?
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Jun 16
Skipping still part of the NZ school PE curriculum
2 people like this
@Inlemay (17714)
• South Africa
23 Jun 16
@valmnz PE has long since disappeared in SA - the majority of children (who are of colour) do not participate, therefore it has been made redundant.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
22 Jun 16
You should have marked his paper with"Thou jesteth young sire".
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Jun 16
It would have been lost on a nine year old
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
22 Jun 16
@valmnz It was normal speech back when I was 9 years old.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
24 Jun 16
@Asylum good to know someone else from the olden days
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
24 Jun 16
Children are really so transparent in what they are thinking .
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
24 Jun 16
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
24 Jun 16
So true! And heaven help us if we don't accept that!
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
22 Jun 16
Lol - there comes a time when we have to accept that we are indeed relics!
2 people like this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Jun 16
To make matters worse I had a new passport photo taken yesterday. That really did hammer it home
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325809)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Jun 16
It is amazing what kids regard as 'old'. Hope you enjoyed your spell of relief teaching.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Jun 16
Not doing too much as don't have much time
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
24 Jun 16
@JudyEv I treated myself to a day down in Wellington as a result
@JudyEv (325809)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Jun 16
@valmnz That's good I would think. The little bits of extra money are handy, aren't they?
1 person likes this
@dodo19 (47066)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
22 Jun 16
It definitely sounds like they had a lot of fun. It's funny how the word "old" has different definitions for different ages.
1 person likes this
@dodo19 (47066)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
22 Jun 16
@valmnz I think that's the important thing.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Jun 16
And most days I don't feel old at all
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
22 Jun 16
I was called old last month by an 18 year old so don't feel bad!
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Jun 16
Didn't feel bad, I was quite amused
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
23 Jun 16
@valmnz Kids generally have this tendency to classify people above a certain age as ''old''. May be as you said they are making a comparison in their minds.
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
25 Jun 16
@valmnz Most of us will feel like that.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
24 Jun 16
Fortunately I didn't find it offensive, but as a bit of a giggle as to the truth of the matter!
1 person likes this
@marlina (154166)
• Canada
22 Jun 16
Glad that you thought them a spelling game, I guess they are not taught that much anymore.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Jun 16
Spelling and other learning games are quite common in NZ schools
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
22 Jun 16
in the olden days, lol!!! well it wasn't electronic, so to them, may very well appear that old!
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Jun 16
Actually I never thought of it that way
1 person likes this
• United States
22 Jun 16
gigglin'! outta the mouths, er, uhm, pen'f babes! here i thought'cha were gonna share this game with's all.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Jun 16
No, this one was about aging
1 person likes this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
22 Jun 16
Lol ... I like it.... @valmnz
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Jun 16
Yes I was quite amused
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
22 Jun 16
Technology is good, but we 'old' teachers have a few good ideas as well.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Jun 16
And kids seem to like competitive games
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
22 Jun 16
@valmnz They love competing against each other.
1 person likes this
@tammyr (5946)
• Etowah, Tennessee
30 Jun 16
I just started a new job and everyone else on my shift is in their 20's. I, at 49, feel like a very old person!! At least none of them hammer the thoughts home though!! Funny to think that when we were teens we called people our age "old people". lol
@JESSY3236 (18923)
• United States
22 Jun 16
Old games is always good. Old can be new again.
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39264)
• Gouverneur, New York
25 Jun 16
@valmnz I love kids concept of age. I am going to be 66 this November and when I retired in May one of my students said to me "Why are you retiring, you're not old enough?" It turned out that he thought I was ancient but not older than 50 - his idea of being really old.
@shivamani10 (11038)
• Hyderabad, India
22 Jun 16
ah...ah...ah...very nice...
1 person likes this
@Meramar (2695)
22 Jun 16
Nowadays, kids are definitly another generation. One school reform follows the other one, government wants to change it every two years as no one seems to be good enough. So teachers also have to change and, at the end, nobody seems to know how it really works. That's one of many problems in Spain. There is the point where I am asking, what was so bad at the oldern sistem? Students studied, even many failed. But, I donĀ“t think that it was a problem of the school system, maybe it was more a problem of the education kids received at home. I am really missing the school sistem I grew up with.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Jun 16
Like everything things change. Kids need to know different things now
1 person likes this
• New Delhi, India
22 Jun 16
Word building? I love playing word building
1 person likes this