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The long debates
When I moved to a secondary school my students were of the competitive sort. They would argue and fight for every single thing. Especially for the marks of their exam. This would often evolve into long debates of how the students are right and I am wrong. It can get extremely interesting when they try to prove their stand. One of their arguments is by listing all the favors they have done for me and should therefore deserve a few extra marks. I suppose on the bright side of things, I am happy they are learning critical thinking skills.
MY three year old have recently begun applying the following words:
because
so that
if
you can try...
Basically, she has learnt the ability of justifying her stand on certain things. While I am happy that she is growing up well, I do not know how to respond when she justifies why she should be eating ice cream instead of vegetables. She pointed out that both mint ice cream and vegetables are green, so, if she eats the green ice cream/vegetable ice cream, she would grow up strong and healthy. I told her that it is not the same and she asked me why not? As much as I feel like telling her 'because I am your father', I try my best to explain the difference to her.
A teacher and a parent have to deal with these arguments and debates in a way that promotes discussion. While doing so does take more time, patience and the occasional hair pulling, the benefit of being patient is that it helps the child in his or her thinking skills. While it may be extremely painful to justify certain concepts to the child, taking time to explain does benefit the child in the long run. Of course, the one biggest difference between a teacher and a parent is the time spent.
The time
A teacher from where I am from, typically has about 2-6 hours of classes a day. No matter how loud the noise, the debates, the arguments and the stress, it all becomes quiet after the bell rings. A parent however, has to spend 24 hours with the child or if you are lucky, about 16 hours after school. The time spent is precious and should always be cherished. I remember having to pick up my daughter from school because she was late and she could not enter the class. We ended up going to the zoo and she still talks about it till this day. I remember teaching a student for only one semester, the time taught in total was less than 10 hours. At the end of the semester, he walked up to me and thank me for inspiring him.
I had no idea of course how and why, but upon asking him, he said he remembered asking me why did I even bothered doing my job when I could have just ended the class early and left the students to do whatever they want. My reply was that it is my responsibility to inspire and to teach. If no one listens, that is ok, at the very least I have done my job.
I write this because I miss my daughter and my students. Studying as a PhD student is an extremely lonely journey, at the very least, there's Steemit to keep me company. A big shout out to all the parents out there, you guys are awesome battling daily noise and arguments to bring up the next generation. You are as important as us teachers.
Teaching is a very difficult job of great responsibility and most specific character. There is a wide variety of work in teaching. A good teacher is not only a communicator of knowledge but a model of competence. He forms attitudes to his subject and attitudes to learning, becoming himself a symbol of education process, a person who is learning as well as teaching. While communicating with children a teacher studies them closely to discover their interests, their strengths and weaknesses, their needs and abilities. Thus a good teacher always regards capacities his pupils have, trying to temper his teaching methods to children’s abilities and aptitudes. He builds his work upon what he learns about his children.
An environment should be created to stimulate children to develop their abilities and satisfy their interests. “Climate” of a classroom depends on the nature of personal relationships between a teacher and his pupils. These relationships should be founded on respect for a person. Thus a primary condition of creating a good atmosphere in class is that everybody in it respects everybody in it. Teacher’s authority will be ensured by respect of his pupils, because his knowledge and skill are greater and better coordinated and his thinking is at a higher level than that of his pupils. His commands are likely to be respected and obeyed then.
It is a purpose of education to liquidate ignorance. But it is also the function of education to help children to live in the community, to prepare them for real life situations. Social development is paid just as much attention to as intellectual development. School becomes a place of work and play, of living and learning. A teacher takes an active part in shaping of a child’s character, fostering honesty, kindness, loyalty, cooperation and respect for ideals.
Quintilian, the prominent Roman school master, wrote in his work published about 95 AD the following about a teacher and his work: “Let him adopt a parental attitude to his pupils. Let him be free from vice himself. Let him be strict but not austere, kind but not too familiar: for austerity will make him unpopular while familiarity breeds contempt. He must control his temper without shutting his eyes to faults requiring correction. His instruction must be free from affection, his industry great, his demands on class continuous, but not extravagant. He must be ready to answer questions and to put them unasked to those who sit silent. In praising the answers of his pupils he must be neither grudging nor over-generous. In correcting faults he must avoid sarcasm and above all abuse to discourage industry.”
Here is an exacting job, but those who are well equipped for it will have a happy and satisfying life.
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