Sizzling Grills and Exam Drills: Life Lessons Beyond Tests

This is the story of a boy who grew up in a fairly isolated village of Greece following the conclusion of the atrocious second world war. History has proven that education is a privilege typically accessible to the better-off, with lesser-known exceptions breaking the rule after enduring relentless hardships and trials. Imagine the oldest brother of five, forced to work the fields to provide the bare necessities for his siblings to survive. Education in a post-war society was but a luxury - a far-fetched dream many a youth at the time were deprived of.

Waking up at 6.00 in the morning to feed the poultry and collect the few eggs that were to be shared amongst a family of seven for breakfast, George would then prep the family’s donkey for a lengthy journey. Finally, wearing a tattered pair of shoes enveloped in mud and dirt, he would make his way to the family’s fields where he would dig, plow and collect the produce of his hard labor. All this at the tender age of seven. What is that you say? Wasn’t he supposed to be in school? Necessity prevails over everything else and this was no exception. Of the few times, however, George did attend classes, he was disheartened to realize how much he struggled with the retention of information. Perhaps the carefree childhood he was deprived of contributed to this. Alas, his potential for rote learning – the dominant educational approach at the time – was mediocre at best. I too attest to the fact that my own memorization skills have failed me time and again, to the point of mental breakdowns before exams.

As we’ve indiscreetly touched upon the theme of exams, allow me to point out that during his primary school years, George’s capacity for production of written speech was almost non-existent. Teachers disregarded his ‘measly’ efforts and focused on the prompt students with ‘potential’ to shine in class and make a name for themselves in life. To no one’s surprise, that’s exactly what occurred. Many of his fellow villagers fled to prestigious educational institutes while he was left with only a primary school certificate; deemed unworthy of even attending high school. If a man’s worth is to be measured by the accumulation of university degrees and certificates, attained only via the scrupulous process of exams and evaluation, one would say that George was completely worthless - a failure in life destined to work as a blue-collar worker. Many would proclaim this a fitting punishment for not living up to the potential and demands of any form of evaluation.

Despite these hindrances in life, George, an avid worker with an uncanny knack for communication, excelled at cooking. He was now in his teenage years, on the cusp of adulthood, and having tried working in just about everything from shoe-shining to traditional chair-weaving, the tranquility of a steamy kitchen preparing food for his contemporaries seemed acceptable. Besides, having suffered from near starvation throughout his childhood and now being surrounded by a surplus of food, didn’t seem bad at all.

George was a natural people’s person. He would smile and greet everyone who entered the restaurant, serving, cleaning and preparing meals in a fashion many would come to admire throughout the years. George advocated high-quality customer service and his was top-notch, with the utmost of care provided to all customers, even the ones who looked down upon him due to his social status. Regardless, this never frustrated him in the least. He always stated it was a privilege to provide for your family, despite the countless hours he struggled over a sizzling grill.

“We’ll both have the steak with mashed potatoes, George! This time with some extra sauce on top,” a customer ventured.

“Right away!” smiled George who sped to the back and prepared the dish.

Moments later, George would serve the gentleman and his wife their meals, adorned with herbs and spices, which to many is considered a luxury today. The sight alone was enough to make you regret consuming the dish after such meticulous preparation.

“Enjoy!” George remarked smiling as he sped to his kitchen to prepare the next meal.

“He’s such a polite young man,” commented the customer’s wife as the two enjoyed their dinner.

As previously mentioned, not everyone was a saint. “Where’s the donkey boy?” yelled a customer who entered the establishment accompanied by two of his peers who embraced his ill-exclaimed attitude.

“Hello Andrew! Nice to see you here again!” exhaled George carrying three of his freshly prepared dishes in hand, the aroma spreading throughout the premises easing Andrew’s initial harsh stance.

After the trio ordered the exact same dishes which had just whet their appetites, Andrew boldly claimed, “You’re too good for this place. Have you considered travelling to the states? Everyone from the village has made a new life in Chicago.”

Unbeknownst to some, lack of any educational degree always adds a challenge to any life altering decision we make. In George’s case, would he risk his new job in pursuit of a better life, only to be faced with the potential of unemployment? One would say that hardships act as a deterrent to such paramount decisions, but in George’s case, they had the opposite effect. He eventually got married and within a week, he and his wife travelled to a foreign country, completely ignorant of its customs, mannerisms and most importantly, its language. Education is the key to the world. If only his teachers at the time saw the potential within him and offered alternatives instead of scrubbing him aside. As educators, there are many among our ranks who are quick to condemn our students, for not living up to the demands of the lessons or exams they will eventually sit for. Fortunately, George had mastered a set of skills that were, at the time, completely unheard of in an educational capacity - soft skills.

What George lacked in a traditional educational environment; he made up for with his personal set of skills. Compassionate, hard-working, excelling in money management and most important of all, respectful of his employees. Yes, he eventually started his own business which thrived for decades to come, raising his own family in the process, and offering the love and support to his children which till this day resonates deeply within them. He even mastered English in its verbal form, far exceeding many native speakers. Is George considered a success for ‘making it in life’ without attending school? This depends on who you ask. One of his dreams was to run his own butchery. The way he ‘sliced and diced’ meat was exemplary. However, sitting for a test which, in addition to the practical application of his skillset, necessitated an average score in the written portion of the test, led to his failing it, rendering yet another blow to his psyche.

“I was never cut out for school. Those tests are so stressful!” he exclaimed.

His classmates and teacher loved him. Imagine a middle-aged family man, attending the few obligatory hours of butcher’s school, all of whom endeared his outgoing personality. They even tried to help him cheat during the test, but George was a proud man and wouldn’t have it. In the end, he attended his classmate’s ‘graduation ceremony’ and offered them a free dinner at the restaurant. One might say this actually bolstered his clientele - which it did – but those close to him knew that he was disappointed. Sounds familiar? How many of our own students have felt disappointed in themselves, only for us to try and lift their spirits, pointing out all the positive traits they boast as individuals and pillars of our society?

Which brings us to exams and their credibility. Are we measuring our students’ intelligence or their capacity to excel at a specific exam? There is a specific drive in our culture to innumerate and measure everything. Our current educational system, which despite all the advances throughout the decades, still measures intelligence by assessing a young person’s ability to perform on a pre-determined assessment at a particular time, ignoring the level of access to information each student has or is capable of integrating. These tests can, of course, tell you what a person is capable of under specific conditions; however, it does not tell you anything about their potential in real-life situations.

“I want you to have the opportunities I didn’t when I was your age,” he would most often state. Admittedly, I inherited his outgoing personality and compassion. I am immensely proud of that. After all, I am my father’s child and wouldn’t have it any other way. Unfortunately, I also inherited his struggles with learning. Memorization has always posed a significant challenge to my educational achievements, leading to many sleepless nights in my lifetime. What little redeeming qualities I have in education stem from my mother’s untapped potential.

Looking back, the greatest gift my father offered me was not the little financial support he managed to spare. Yes, we have always struggled in life to make ends meet like most families today. However, I dare say he bestowed upon me the greatest gift any parent could: to respect myself and others, and in no case demean anyone for not excelling at something, rather commend each of their accomplishments and positive traits. Perhaps it’s time we viewed education as a notion of support instead of the daunting challenge associated with exam assessments.