“Billie Eilish: An Educated Woman” Review
“Billie Eilish: An Educated Woman” is one of the many wonderful books that happen to be written by Billie Eilish. For those who are unaware, Billie has done a lot of interviews over the years and has done a lot of work in education. She is a former elementary school teacher, first grade teacher, an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, and was a special education teacher.
In “Billie Eilish: An Educated Woman,” it is stated that Billie taught special ed teacher for two decades. Then, in 2020, she was promoted to district level. When this happened, she was almost demoted and in 2020, there was an open article in the LA Times titled “Billie Eilish Opens Doors,” where she discussed some of her methods. One of the ideas included in this was the idea of intergenerational learning.
Billie states that when she was a teacher, many of the course’s children took were directed at a specific age group. Now, as a teacher, it is thought about that many children will not develop socially or academically as well as others, if any education is given to them at an early age.
Classes usually take place at the school, and students attend during a designated hour. Class sizes are small, and the teachers are encouraged to have regular conversations with their students throughout the day.
The positive influences of the teachers extend beyond this, as they are given other tasks such as creating friendships and participating in sports. This is where the intergenerational learning comes into play. Teaching children to interact socially with adults allows them to learn to communicate and even work together on projects or while learning.
Billie states that the influence of young children to adults in middle schoolchild cannot be ignored. The great minds of our times are produced by middle school students, and if we provide the resources necessary, they will receive the same education as many college aged individuals. The teachers will need to share their opinions with students, and even participate in discussions.
With regard to social skills, these can be taught as well. When a student is left alone and lonely for too long, they begin to feel disconnected and will show signs of sadness and abandonment. By involving themselves with other students at each class session, they feel more connected and better able to handle certain situations.
I highly recommend this book, especially for those who like to read, or those who like to teach. Not only is this a really fun read but it also has a lot of good information.
