Sometimes, a disappointment for someone can be a positive for others. That is the way it was in our family. My mother passed the school board exam and went to grammar school. Her formal education was cut short due to her mothers terminal illness causing her to leave school to run the family home.

Her opportunity denied, only increased the determination that the same fate would not befall her children. Without us knowing the reason why, my sister and I were supported in any endeavor that was linked to our education. Her encouragement to us was unbridled. Unusually for our community, a full set of encyclopedia Britannica was acquired, probably via installments, just after my sister passed the 11+ exam. I have fond memories of the hours spent leafing through those volumes.

From this foundation came a desire to learn. Decades on, my simple thoughts about this are

• an education is one of life’s great gifts, to be be accepted, appreciated, nurtured, expanded upon, but most importantly passed forward
• curiosity is the catalyst to learning. A question asked is more valuable than a statement made
• acquiring knowledge to gain qualifications is only a small part of the process. Understanding how we learn offers a lifetime of enrichment
• an education is a foundation for life but it is passive- value is only created when you do something with it
• learning is not free, it requires time and effort, but eventually it becomes a habit. The economics of learning are incredible

Hall of Fame #1

Lance Crass was my first science teacher. He made chemistry exciting just through his personal exuberance for the subject. Over time he instilled the discipline of science in us by emphasizing the verification of theory through experimentation. Proof!
Before starting the organic chemistry modules he explained that this was a subject that could not be crammed for an end of term exam. It was an accumulation of knowledge built upon sequential understanding. Next weeks more complex lesson would be easier if the principles of this weeks lesson were understood. The first ever enunciation of the learning process!