Poll - What makes us tick and why??

[Romilly]

Hello there,

I was interested to read through all the messages above on this subject:-)

Nobody else in my immediate family has any interest in family history either! (My husband's view is that its all over & done with...& why rake through the ashes?).

As a child I always had a feel for history; certain places would evoke strong feelings. One of my elderly uncles used to take me out & about in London & tell me the history of things which had happened there. In places like The Tower of London, I was very aware that my feet were walking in places where people like Henry VIII, for example, had walked...

Apart from famous people & events, I was always very interested in the life stories of ordinary people too. I spent many years working as a teacher & a social worker, & heard many true stories of people's lives; which were often much stranger than fiction!

At school, my favourite subjects were English & History, although funnily enough I later completed a Psychology Degree, (it wasn't available as a subject when I was at school).

I remember putting on a Career's Advice form that I would like to be a Spy when I left school,  - I was instead encouraged to go into teaching, (more suitable for a girl then). I've often thought though, that to succeed in Family History you need a spy's mentality:-)

(It also helps to be incredibly nosey).

All Best Wishes, Romilly.

[trystan]

I've added a Poll to your topic now for you. Sorry if I've missed out a vital set of subjects. 

(I clicked Sciences by the way)

[avj]

I was bored by History at school.

It wasn't that I didn't like it, it was just taught by rote and the real things that would have caught my imagination were barely touched on.

My children (8 and 11) get much more out of the subject as they are discovering not just the important events but what it was like at the time, for ordinary people.

It makes helping them with their school projects quite fun...

The whole family were glued to that BBC series recently 'Green Valley' where a group of experts spent a year living on and running a farm as it would have been done in the 1600s. Wonderful stuff!

Adrian

[bonjedward]

My memories of high school (west of Scotland, comprehensive, 1970's) are mostly coloured by the teachers of those subjects, who could either inspire you or make you hate their subject. They really did seem to conform to the stereotypes for their subjects.
 
Physics, being the 'hardest' of the 'hard' sciences, had the most intimidating and aggressive teachers (all male).

Chemistry had a bit of a softer image, there were some female teachers, and more room for discussion.

Biology had largely female teachers and was looked down on by Physics and Chemistry teachers as being almost not a science at all.

Maths teachers (all male) were real hard cases, frequently using corporal punishment for forgotten homework, etc. They were the only ones to wear gowns. In Maths, the answer was either right or wrong, and no questions or discussion were tolerated.

English was a bit more liberal, though God help you if you openly disagreed with the teacher on the meaning of some poem, or on politics.

Music teachers were often highly-strung, and could suddenly burst into tears, or violence.

Art teachers were pretty laid-back, real hippies. But being really nice and understanding can be counterproductive, if everyone is told that they're equally good at art (especially if you knew, like me, that you were crap).

Teachers of German were more authoritarian than their counterparts in the French department. These were the most boring lessons - all drilling, and repetition.

Technical, and P.E. teachers were looked down on by the other staff, being seen as less qualified. They took their revenge on the kids: in technical drawing, we got one stroke on the backside with the specially-made "Board of Education" for each millimetre's inaccuracy in a drawing. And in P.E, the teachers would ridicule boys as being "poofs" if they were unable to get over the vaulting horse.

History was my favorite - really the only subject where you were encouraged to think for yourself, and look for evidence with which to successfully challenge the viewpoints of others. The History teachers were considered outsiders by the rest of the staff, who disapproved of such openness, and of them rolling up their shirt sleeves in the summer, or wearing corderoy jackets.

This might seem terribly stereotypical. All I can say was, "that's how it was". There must have been some considerable pressure among staff to conform, or to move to another school.

[Shaztoni]

Ah David I know those teachers so well, we must have had the same ones.

Sharon

[Andi R]

Must be a thing about Technical Drawing teachers, ours would cane us all, (yes all of us) at least once per lesson - In and I quote "alphabetical order starting with you - BECK"  poor 'Becky'.  Thing is most times we never done anything wrong, and when anyone did the slightest thing wrong like hide the cane, we all got caned (once he found it)

Leader ot the council now that teacher, ooh could I ruin his political life, can't be normal, can it a teacher liking caning teenagers all the time

Andrew

[Boongie Pam]

Seems there are 2 camps.  History interests is an obvious lead in to FH but I think the sciences do to.  I was a scientist by education and early career but I've moved out of that line and FH helps me keep my research skills.  Flexes the investigative muscle so to speak.

P

[kerryb]

I enjoyed History and English at school but then lost interest a bit.

I took a degree with the OU in Environmental Science but now am back into my interest of history.  So I must be straddling both sides!

Kerry

[Headbanger Veron]

I enjoyed english and music, languages, in fact anything that wasn't a science, except history and geog. which I couldn't wait to give up. Funny that - because now, I work in finance, love figures, and program computers for fun - and my hobby is genealogy!

I've often wondered why - and come to the conclusion that what you like at school is a combination of liking the teacher, and being pigeon holed by one's parents ("oh you're the musical one dear..."). I've certainly had more fun since I turned 40, and realised there were a whole lot of things out there that I knew nothing about, and might be good at. One of the really interesting things about this family history lark, is discovering that your parents (and your ancestors through them) give you more than your name, they give you a whole lot of traits which might not be apparent when you are at school, but might show themselves later.  I can't help thinking that the fact that my grandfather was a tax inspector, and one of my other ancestors won a prize for maths back in the 1830's, might have something to do with it.

Makes you think, doesn't it!!

Veron