A whiff of the sea!

This morning as I sat sipping my first cup of coffee, looking down happily at a couple of brightly colored birds, circling a thicket, I was in bliss. My balcony is a wonderful observation post.Rather short lived though as my son, broke in and asked me if I knew what a 'storm jib' was. The glint in his eye indicated that he was fairly certain that I did not.

However I know what a jib sail is and by extension what a storm jib is. Exploring further, I got to learn, that he was reading a lesson in English which concerned a family on a sea adventure, on a sailing boat, in choppy seas.

I could smell the salty sea, as we talked about more nautical terms.....the circling birds banished from my thoughts. I was in a canter now, nicely warmed up on the subject, as I felt that I was best qualified to deal with this lesson on sailing ships and rough seas.I even offered my son, the possibility of visiting his school and taking this lesson. I could also, throw in a few pirate stories for good measure.

Much to my chagrin, I found my pupils interest waning and him edging away. I coldly enquired if he did not want to know the technical nuances of the story or what? I know of his disinterest, in taking to the sea as a profession, but knowledge was knowledge, and it was good to delve in depth into something that you do not know too much about.


Apparently that does not hold good anymore.......you read to pass an exam or score marks.That too English as a language, get it done with and over with. Knowledge be damned.As far as I'm concerned, this policy is fatally flawed as an approach. Cognitive skills develop, when you experience and understand, varied scenarios in adequate depth and not by skimming the surface.The key terms are varied and depth of experience.

This is Gen Y and who can argue or do I feel bad because an opportunity to talk at length about the sea..................who knows but I do care!

As for the birds, they were joined, by a few more, possibly their friends or relatives tweeting away with gusto, calming my troubled mind but leaving the whiff of the sea in the balmy air, with thougts of sailing ships and choppy seas.