Billy Coffey
Billy Coffey

The other side of freedom

September 3, 2010  

image courtesy of photobucket.com

image courtesy of photobucket.com

This year my son is in the first grade, and as such no longer occupies the bottom rung of the elementary school ladder. Gone are the naptimes and the snack times and the occasional “accident” of his favorite blanket finding its way into his bag. He’s quick to point out that he isn’t five anymore, he’s six. There’s a big difference.

There’s more responsibility, for one. There’s more homework in the first grade. More tests and quizzes. Construction paper and connect-the-dots have been replaced by words to write and math problems to cipher.

But being a first grader does have its advantages, ones that go well beyond no longer being the punch line of all the playground jokes. My son and his classmates may work harder and be expected to do more than last year, but those things are balanced out by a little extra dose of one very important thing.

Freedom.

For all its pomp and circumstance, kindergarten basically amounted to a fuzzy-feely boot camp designed to acclimate my son to the rigors of life in school. Every minute and every movement was planned and structured. Not so much in the first grade, though. Especially in the area known as “seatwork”.

The concept is a simple one. His teacher goes over a lesson—in yesterday’s case, it was spelling—and then assigns a list of ten comparable words that each student must write three times. The assignment doesn’t have to be completed immediately, though. “By the next day.” Ample time is given after the lesson is over, but it’s considered free time—do what you want.

My son chose not to write his spelling words. Evidently staring out the window and talking to his friends took priority. Not that I can blame him. I would have done the same thing.

Which was why he was sitting beside me last night wondering where it had all gone wrong. Evenings at home were supposed to involve things he wanted to do, things like playing with his Matchbox cars and having a catch with Dad. Instead, he’s now at the kitchen table with a piece of paper and his Lightning McQueen pencil writing POT-POT-POT, NOT-NOT-NOT, COT-COT-COT.

He didn’t like it. Not at all. And though he said nothing, I suspected he thought his father to be a mean and cruel man for making him sit there and do it. Freedom indeed! He felt like he was back in kindergarten again rather than the almost-grownup he knew he was.

Me, I sipped my coffee and watched. Reminded him to the cross the ts and make his words a bit smaller. “Yes sir,” he said, but mostly because he had to.

The jury’s still out on whether my son will enjoy first grade as much—and hopefully more—as he enjoyed kindergarten. To him, school is a place he has to go rather than wants to go. He’d rather be outside in the woods (not sure who he inherited that from).

But me, I’m enjoying it very much. First grade is offering my son a lesson in something that reaches far beyond POT/NOT/COT. It’s teaching him about freedom and the responsibility that goes along with it.

Which is why I think a lot of us nowadays would do well to sit in on the nearest first grade class. We just might need the reminder that freedom is a strong thing indeed, but that it’s a strength that will continue only so long as we use it to do as we should rather than as we can.

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Comments

  • Katdish

    I read this the other day: “Just because we have the right to do something, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.”

    I think too many people miss the distinction, but I’m fairly confident neither of your kids ever will. Great post, as always.

  • http://www.edcyz.com Ed Cyzewski

    Thanks for this reminder about the burdens/responsibilities that come with freedom.

  • http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com Joyce

    Another great post! Enjoy the long weeked…

  • http://hikingtowardhome.blogspot.com/ Sharon

    I homeschool my four, and I dream of a time when they ‘get’ that concept. So often they are playing when they should be working.
    As for our ‘freedom’… I just had a good refresher. We had company/tourists visiting and on Tuesday we went to the National Archives saw the original documents and then Wednesday we went to Philly to Independence Hall and saw where they were signed. I love living on the East Coast so close to so much history, but it brought to mind your ACLU post from the other day.

  • http://buzzbyannies.blogspot.com Annie K

    I have a feeling you will have many more of those evenings Billy. Great post!

  • http://www.joannesher.com Joanne Sher

    Freedom certainly comes with responsibility – a reminder I definitely need.

  • http://amblessedbeyondmeasure.blogspot.com April

    I am reminded of my son in your post. He is now 9 years old and just started fourth grade and we still deal with the freedom issue when it comes to homework. On the plus side, my son loves school and doesn’t mind going at all! :) He just hates the homework.

  • http://www.pridelandsmommy.blogspot.com *~Michelle~*

    Great post Billy!

    “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry is own weight, this is a frightening prospect.”
    ~Eleanor Roosevelt

  • http://dutchhillnews.blogspot.com Annie McMahon

    Great post, as usual. I used some of my freedom to pre-order your book.

  • http://hisfirefly.blogspot.com HisFireFly

    Freedom….

    I’m thinking of the freedom that rises from obedience, when you know you are walking in His will. True freedom indeed.

    I agree that perhaps we all need a 1st grade visit.

    Well said Billy.

  • Katdish

    Yesh!

  • http://www.tonyjalicea.com Tony Alicea

    “Do as we should rather than as we can”

    This is something so many of us tend struggle with. Thanks for the story and great reminder. I love posts written like this.

  • http://aspiretoleadaquietlife.blogspot.com A Simple Country Girl

    You sure can make some interesting sentences from those three spelling words… (i.e. Do not go pot on the cot.) This is part of why I homeschool. I can be my literal silly self right at home in my jammies…

    All that aside, I wholeheartedly agree with your last statement on freedom.

    Blessings.

  • http://www.brockhenning.com Brock Henning

    ha ha…man, that sounds familiar, especially the “seatwork” part. What a chore to force a boy to “sit.” Ah, but like you said, the price of freedom can be one pain in the rear. There’s my 1st grade lesson. ;)

  • http://lindaspatchworkquilt.blogspot.com/ Linda

    A great lesson – even for those of us who haven’ t sat at a school desk in a very long time.

  • http://www.hazel-moon-blog.blogspot.com/ Hazel Moon

    These thoughts are well spoken! Such depth in what is really freedom!