Wednesday's Word -- School

Drawing of Fernway Elementary in Shaker Heights, Ohio
(school I attended for 3rd grade -- way back when)

Around my house, we are full tilt in our get-ready-for-the-start-of-school preparations.  Haircuts, dental appointments, clothes shopping, school supplies, back packs, lunch bags, etc.  Thankfully, my girls are still young enough to be EXCITED about school.  Well, actually come to think about it, I was always that near-nerd-type that never really lost the excitement induced by the prospect of new textbooks to cover in brown grocery bag covers, sharp pencils with soft erasers, clean spiral notebooks, and most importantly -- new clothes.  

You probably had your routines too.  I remember going through our closets (4 sisters!) to figure out what could be passed down, what still fit, and what new purchases could be justified as "needed."  And then there were the hours spent trying on various new outfits to pick just the right one for the start of the year.  (We liked to view ourselves in the full length mirror in MY room, because it had a slimming effect for whatever reason.)  Of course some of the choices would be horrifying to 21st Century eyes.  If only I had a copy of my younger sister and myself dressed in matching corduroy knickers (blue and red), I would post it.  Embarrassing, but quite amusing.  

How styles have changed.  Just this afternoon, I was trying on a new skirt that arrived on my doorstep.  My 7-year-old daughter wasn't sure about it because it has a waist band that actually falls at the WAIST.  That's considered "high waist" these days, you know (as if we all forgot where our waists actually are).  And then to make matters worse (from her perspective), I TUCKED my blouse into the skirt.  She was struggling with the whole tucking thing, but I assured her that I used to be a tucking master.  In fact back in the day we used to tuck everything we could.  Not just shirts, mind you.  But also the bottoms of jeans (i.e., pegging) and anything else we could.  She was slack-jawed in disbelief.  Well, no matter what my 7-year-old thinks, high waists and tucking are making a come back.  But I digress.  

School

The word for today is "school."  It's in the air.  (Don't ask me why kids now go back to school at the beginning of August rather than after Labor Day.  It's still swimming weather, for goodness sake!)  

You know that a "school" is an institution of learning (or at least it's supposed to be).  The verb "school" means to educate, to train or discipline (or at least it should).  At its root level, "school" comes from an Indo European root *segh, which means "to hold."  I've seen what my daughters' teachers are dealing with, and it is sometimes a bit like a holding cell . . . .  

More specifically, though, the word school comes from the Greek skhole, which means stop, rest, or leisure.  Among the ancient Greeks, it was a word used to describe learned discussions and disputations between teacher and students.  

The word "education" comes from the Latin e-ducere, meaning "to lead out, bring up."  It is said that in ancient Greece, Socrates argued that education was about drawing out what was already within the student.   

I suppose it makes some sense.  You have to hold them (their attention and trust) to lead them (bring out their potential).