Back to High School

At some point after finishing high school I realized that even though I enjoyed high school I never wanted to go back. The further away high school days become the more thankful I am that I'm not there anymore. Except, the deal is, I am there. For the past three years my employment has been as an instructional assistant which has afforded the flexibility I need while going to grad school. I work all over the district but mainly enjoy the middle schools and high school positions. This spring I took a long term job the requires accompanying a student to his classes. I sit through music history, women's history, and senior health. So far this experience has been amazing. First, it has reconfirmed that I am so glad not to be in high school! The emotional drama radiates through the halls. Second, I want to take high school classes again. Sound like a contradiction? Maybe, but I don't think so. I didn't value what I was learning while in hs. Now I think the teachers are fantastic and are filled with great information. For example, the music history teacher talks without notes. He rattles off names and dates and songs of rock, blues, folk, jazz...with passion without looking at anything to remind him. Students just sit there. I'm jumping up and down inside with how fantastic the info is. For example, did you know that the Beatles in 1964 had all five of the top billboard songs? That has never been repeated. Or that between 1/3 and 1/2 of TV's in America were tuned into Ed Sullivan to watch them play during the same time period?
Or take women's history. For some reason it finally hit me how amazing my lifetime is for women. Less than 100 years ago women didn't vote and couldn't own property. I hadn't noted how women's rights movements have followed civil rights. Maybe for some of you this is obvious but for me, it's little tidbits of info that I haven't really pondered.
Then there is senior health. I remember it was so boring. It hasn't changed...still rather boring and easy. But I have been learning. We studied first aid...always good to review. Now we are finishing STD's. Do you know the two main (may be more that we didn't look at) STD's that can be transmitted without sexual contact? Yea...look that up. Makes me more grossed out to stay in hotels, that's for sure!
Overall, I think this is the best way to go to high school. Being 30 with life experience to actually have a meaningful context to put the information in has been so much better. I only wish I could ask questions...but that would be too weird. I can't look like I'm interested right?! What would the students think of me? =)