A Fulfilled Prediction

Recently I was reflecting upon a difficult day I had at work some years ago.

The morning had started off in its usual way.  My literacy intervention groups had run as smoothly as possible and recess had come quickly upon us.

As I walked into the mini staff room I was greeted with the question, “What do you think of Maths, Nikki?”

Now, during my own primary school years and even more so in my secondary school years, maths had been my worst subject.  I just could not get the hang of it.

But when I started to homeschool my beautiful son, I came to quite enjoy relearning the basics.  In fact, at the time of being asked this question I was gradually working my way through a grade 4 maths curriculum, just for my own interest.

So when the question was asked, I very willingly began to tell of my journey of intense dislike to curious enjoyment of maths, but I was unexpectedly interrupted by the laughter of my colleagues.

I quickly realised that I had misheard the question.  Their query had been about “M.A.F.S.”.

Unfortunately I was aware of what “M.A.F.S.” is, but for those who are not; it is a television “reality” show with the self explanatory title of “Married At First Sight”.

I had seen a few scenes of the first series several years prior and had quickly thrown it on the pile of “never stoop to watch again” programs.

I cannot abide the majority of “reality” television programs of today.  I find them utterly insulting to the little intelligence that I have.

A step back in time to almost 70 years ago - a year or so after television first came to Australia’s shores, my amazing dad enjoyed a short career as a studio manager (amongst other titles) at channel HSV7. He immediately predicted that television was going to have a detrimental effect upon children’s interest in reading, upon their ability to read and upon their ability to concentrate for long periods of time.  He quickly switched the direction of his career as a result, and he and my lovely mum made the decision to not have a television in our home while they were raising their family.

Coming back to my difficult day at work - after our little laugh in the staff room about my apparent deafness, I was involved in a meeting with other intervention staff regarding the need to make room for more students in need of assistance on their literacy journey.

These meetings can be difficult.  The logistics of funding, timetabling, staffing and student allocation are sometimes rather mind bending. One can often leave such meetings thinking that the solution arrived at will “just have to do”.  This day’s meeting was one such as this, and I was feeling rather deflated as I worked through my lunch break.

But in the afternoon, as I was hearing some of the students read, I suddenly had the realisation that my past and present had collided.  My amazing dad’s predictions of almost 70 years ago, more than a decade before I was even born, had been proven true.  And I was now at the coalface of dealing with the consequences. 

I was devastated.

Whilst I do not believe that the reading difficulties that many of today’s children have are solely to be blamed upon the existence of television,  I would not be surprised  if any research into the subject finds that television, and the internet screens of today, play the majority role in the matter. 

One “good” thing to arise from this situation is that there seemingly will always be a need (although not necessarily a job) for literacy intervention teachers.  Whilst I sometimes find it heartbreaking to witness the struggles that many of the children have with literacy, I’m genuinely grateful to be of a small help to them learning this all important life skill.

That day at work was difficult.  So difficult that I spent the evening snuggled up in front of a Hallmark movie - almost, but not quite, the antithesis of “reality” television.

Nikki

This is a random stock photo. One day I’ll upload one of my amazing Dad in his television days.