Is This Decision the Best Decision for This Child?
Part of the problem in education is that decisions are not being made with the above filter in place. Very rarely do the people making the decisions about the education of a child ask themselves if this is the best decision for that child.
Most often the decisions are made based on what is easiest for the adult involved, and frequently what is easiest for the adult is what creates the least hassle, regardless of what is best for the child. And who can blame them?
If you look around around you, parents make choices for thier kids based on what is easiest 30 times a day. It is easier to give the kid a candy bar than it is to hear him whine for an hour. It is easier to let them watch tv than to turn it off and insist they find something more wholesome to do.
When it comes to education it is easier to let the child slid with less homework, less rigerous math, easier teachers, than to insist on the child staying in the more difficult class. We make it so easy for the kids to do nothing and get by. Because it is easier and we get tired of fighting. Fighting other teachers, administrators, board members, parents, and the kids themselves. Yet we know...really know, that when the children are held to high standards they perform wonderfully. They feel better about themselves, and are truly successful.
A teacher friend of mine used to have a sign on his wall "Self esteem comes from doing difficult tasks well. Self esteem comes from behaving in an esteemable manner." (or something quite similar)
Most often the decisions are made based on what is easiest for the adult involved, and frequently what is easiest for the adult is what creates the least hassle, regardless of what is best for the child. And who can blame them?
If you look around around you, parents make choices for thier kids based on what is easiest 30 times a day. It is easier to give the kid a candy bar than it is to hear him whine for an hour. It is easier to let them watch tv than to turn it off and insist they find something more wholesome to do.
When it comes to education it is easier to let the child slid with less homework, less rigerous math, easier teachers, than to insist on the child staying in the more difficult class. We make it so easy for the kids to do nothing and get by. Because it is easier and we get tired of fighting. Fighting other teachers, administrators, board members, parents, and the kids themselves. Yet we know...really know, that when the children are held to high standards they perform wonderfully. They feel better about themselves, and are truly successful.
A teacher friend of mine used to have a sign on his wall "Self esteem comes from doing difficult tasks well. Self esteem comes from behaving in an esteemable manner." (or something quite similar)
posted by Brian Every at 4:06 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home