Last Saturday afternoon I received a FaceTime call from my grandson Nicolas. He is in his first year at Albrite College in Pennsylvania. Nico was eager to tell me something. "Grandpa, your school beat my school in football today." As it turns out, the WestConn Wolves defeated the Albright Lions, 28-14. It took me a moment to comprehend what Nic and I were experiencing together.
Attending a rival school of my grandson is a scenario I did not anticipate four years ago when I reentered academia. I suspect Nicolas is trying to wrap his head around it as well.
Photo: westconnathletics
Transmitting a Love for Learning
I'm trying to use what I'm learning about learning to benefit my grandkids. I don't speak only of my former experiences, "Well, dag nab it... back in my day, we had to walk to school, uphill, in snow blizzards so we could memorize our times tables. We didn't have any smartphones. Our teachers expected us to get smart." Rather than preaching, I try to share and compare. It sounds more like, "Are you taking a science? I am. It's not my thing but I'm open to learning something new." Nicolas has the added "advantage" of having a maternal grandmother who completed her nurse practitioner studies at Yale at the age of 51. So he's kind of surrounded by people who don't have to go way back to relate.
Going for a Well-Rounded Generation Z
Nicolas (19) reminds me of myself at that age. He knows what he wants to do. But the relevance of his classes to his vocation isn't always clear. Amongst other factors, this disconnect led to my dropping out back in the 20th century.
Why Do I Need to Take... THAT?!
In Public Speaking last week, I presented the opening speech from Ferris Bueller's Day Off (dir. John Hughes, 1986). Ferris comments on his test in European Socialism, "I'm not European, I don't plan on being European, so who gives a crap if they're socialist? They could be fascist anarchists – it still wouldn't change the fact that I don't own a car."
That is excellent storytelling of faulty thinking. We laugh because Ferris's spiel is a caricature of the way many teens and young adults think.
We're In Your Corner
I'm just hoping that Nicolas and the other grandchildren hear the cheering that's coming from their parents, grandparents, and teachers. "Stay the course. Give yourself over to it. Do your best. Enjoy the process."
Please post your thoughts about intergenerational conversations below. What are you learning from members of other generations, older or younger?
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