This being pre-NCLB-centered education, what went on in the various classrooms was not as coordinated as it is today. Some teachers regularly covered more material than others, and the work load and expectations were certainly not standard within the school. Ms. Miller pushed her students harder than nearly any other teacher in the school and her popularity suffered as a result. As I remember, she didn’t really care – she was very confident she was doing the right thing.

For many of the honors students in her class, this was the first time we were challenged. Our “excellence” had allowed us to coast through classes with high floors for a long time, but here we were challenged. Sentences had to have context clues showing you knew the meaning of the work. Books used for book reports had to be above grade level. Spelling and handwriting had to be reflective of the bright students we were.

I hated it, and I rebelled in the most passive way possible. Nearly every day, about 10 minutes before English class, I would go to the nurse and complain of feeling “fluish”. This went on for several months. Sometimes I’d just rest in the nurses office, sometimes I’d go home. But I wasn’t going to English class.

Go me. Good job earning my first D! I really showed Ms. Miller, huh?

In hindsight, someone should have intervened. I should have been challenged by the nurse or a guidance counselor. Ms. Miller did have an “I know what you’re doing here” conversation with me once, but being enemy #1, I just dismissed what she said. But I never forgot it.

Nor, did I forget the things she taught me.

My son has never had a “Ms. Miller.” Some of his previous teachers have shown flashes of Ms. Miller’s values, but the heterogeneous grouping of students in his classes, overly generous classification of “honors students”, emphasis on high-stakes test scores, standards based reports cards, and grade-level wide uniform lesson planning have inhibited their efforts to emphasize spelling and hold high expectations.

So it has fallen to me to impart the lessons I learned (despite my best efforts to ignore them) from Ms. Miller. I stress the importance of good spelling in assignments where spelling mistakes will not be penalized. I encourage the construction of vocabulary sentences which allow the reader to discern the meaning of the word from context clues. I recommend reading accelerated reading choices which have been around since the 70s over the latest Judy Moody book. And I encourage my son to always do his best, even when a lazy effort will be considered among the top showings.

Like Ms. Miller’s lessons, these messages are not always popular with my son. And, like Ms. Miller I’m content with that. I do wish that he was hearing it in school and I could be in the role of reinforcing the ideas instead of seeming to add to the workload, but I’m confident it’s the right thing.

I never thanked Ms. Miller for what she did. I never apologized either… I was too young and immature to realize how wrong I was and how right she was. But she WAS right, and I’m happy to be in a position where I can help my son excel by sharing the things she taught me.

Although I no longer live in Salinas, I wanted to encourage my own kids to read some of Steinbeck’s novel. The dilemma was how to encourage my kids to read these “old books”. Would they be able to enjoy these novels in the same way I had? There are no references to I-pods, computers, televisions or video games since most of his books were written in the mid-1930s. And, there are certainly no vampires or teenage wizards in these novels.

I wanted my 13 year-old daughter to read Of Mice and Men, not just because I was from Salinas but because I felt it is a really good book. When I recommended the book to her, I told her that it offers a small snapshot of what life may have been like in the early 20th century. It was also an easy sell to her because it’s a short and easy read – something my daughter seriously takes into consideration since her school requires that she read at least one book per month. She read the book, and when she finished I asked her for her thoughts. Her response was priceless: “Yes, I liked it, but Mom that was a messed up ending!”

That was exactly the response I was looking for. By reading it myself just before, we were able to discuss the book together: how we felt, what we liked & what we didn’t like. It was a mini-book club between mother and daughter and I couldn’t have asked for more.

Books – especially very good books – are meant to make you feel. At times, they may greatly disturb you or make you angry. In other cases you may be positively motivated by its content. Many times, books are not politically correct and they stretch the boundaries of our comfort zones. This is prevalent in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, as it covers situations which would be completely unacceptable today. By reading this book, my daughter and I had a candid discussion on not only the book, but what would happen if situations covered in the book would (or could) occur today. The classics may not be today’s hot best seller, but they are classics for a reason – they are good.

What better way to celebrate than with some Schoolhouse Rock? Watch the videos after the jump and then please comment and tell us your favorite. (We are partial to Mr. Morton, but they’re all great.)

National Grammar Day was established in 2008 by Martha Brockenbrough, founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar.

Grammar fans and those who just are interested in short, frequently updated, informative podcasts should check out the Grammar Girl and her free podcast – available from her site, itunes, and many other sources.