Archive for the ‘Child Development’ Category

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What is the Obsession With Talking About Sex To Children?

October 4, 2011

Nearly every day there is some expert quoting some study about how important it is to talk about sex with your children.  Whilst I have no problem with the message, I wonder why it is constantly being regurgitated.

Why is it always, “teach your children about sex”?  What about teaching your children about manners, selflessness, hard work and respect for others?  Why aren’t these messages seen as important as the “birds and the bees”?

Now they’re telling parents they should talk to their 5-year olds about sex.  My child is 6 and she just discovered that the fish you eat is the same as the fish that swim.  Is this really the time to be discussing sex?

CHILDREN have sex for the first time between the ages of 14 and 15 says a new study, which also suggests that parents should talk to them about their sexuality from as early as the age of five.

I think I will shelve plans of having the “sex” talk for the time being.  I’ve got more pressing problems to tend to – like getting my daughter to eat fish again!

 

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Posted in Child Development, Parenting | 3 Comments »

It’s Time That Teachers Get Trained Properly

September 28, 2011

It’s just bewildering how unprepared our system seems to be in dealing with students who turn up to school without basic language skill.

When a person fronts up to a doctor with an ailment that came about from unhealthy eating habits and reckless behaviour, the doctor doesn’t throw his/her hands up in the air and tell them that they can’t properly help them because of their inability to look after themselves.

When a plumber gets called to a house to inspect a toilet that has been clogged due to the owners stupidity and laziness the plumber doesn’t refuse to take the job citing that they can’t fix a problem that wouldn’t have existed had the owner stuck to flushing toilet paper only.

There are professionals that are prepared to take on all kinds of cases regardless of the negligence or challenges involved.  And then there’s teachers …

Traditionally, teachers seem to crumble when presented with students who haven’t acquired basic skills at home.  I am glad to hear that our wonderful profession is taking more positive steps in dealing with this problem:

In socially deprived areas more than 50% of children begin school without the ability to speak in long sentences, which experts say can lead to problems in later life. Schools across England are taking part in a day without pens to tackle this speech deficit.

It took the whole class of five and six-year-olds six attempts to reassemble these jumbled words into a coherent sentence: “Past the walked we shops.”

Partly it was the noise in the classroom which made listening difficult.

Partly it was the distracting presence of a man from the BBC with a microphone.

But mostly it was unfamiliarity with the basic rules of English, their first language, which made the exercise so long winded.

The children, from Baguley Hall Primary School in Wythenshawe, south Manchester, are bright and normal children.

But they have had few opportunities to develop conversation skills.

It is a poor area with high unemployment and a large proportion of children living in lone parent households.

 Family discussions do not happen very often.
Of course I am making a generalisation  (and I am not comparing a child with a clogged toilet!). There are plenty of teachers fully equipped at dealing with this issue.  But there are too many that aren’t.
For me this has little to do with effective teaching and more to do with effective teacher training.  Teachers are not fully prepared for the child that doesn’t know how to carry a conversation because practical skills aren’t properly covered in a Teaching degree.
Whilst it would be nice for parents to ensure their children turn up to school with basic language skills this just can’t be relied upon.  Teachers need to be prepared for all types of scenarios.
Unfortunately, they are not prepared at all!

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Posted in Child Development, Teacher Training | 1 Comment »

Parents Are Warned About SpongeBob

September 13, 2011

I think I’m in the wrong profession.  Perhaps I should give up teaching and apply for a research grant.  Every day the papers are rife with some obvious or completely warped research intended in making already insecure parents feel even more uneasy about the job they are doing.

Today’s message of fear to parents is a warning to avoid letting their kids watch shows like SpongeBob SquarePants which will bring on terrible (I use that word with the greatest of sarcasm) side-effects:

Researchers say this could be because children mimic the chaotic behaviour of their favourite TV characters, or because the fast-moving and illogical cartoons make them over-excited.

In other words children enjoy the show, they respond to it in an imaginative way and it excites them.  That’s a good thing, right?  Well, apparently not:

Tests showed that four year-olds who watched just a few minutes of the popular television show were less able to solve problems and pay attention afterwards than those who saw a less frenetic programme or simply sat drawing.

As a result, they suggest that parents consider carefully which programmes they allow their offspring to watch, as well as encouraging them to enjoy more sedate and creative activities such as playing board games.

Angeline Lillard from the University of Virginia, who carried out the experiment, said: “Parents should know that children who have just watched SpongeBob Squarepants, or shows like it, might become compromised in their ability to learn and behave with self-control.

“Young children are beginning to learn how to behave as well as how to learn. At school, they have to behave properly, they need to sit at a table and eat properly, they need to be respectful, and all of that requires executive functions.

What is wrong with varying forms of stimulus?  Sure watching too much television isn’t good for a child, but why can’t they combine drawing and board games with other activities that excite them?

Perhaps the problem is that in a bid to get children to follow rigid rules like sitting in classrooms without showing any signs of restlessness or boredom, we are instructed to take away the very pastimes which our children actually respond to?

Prof Lillard suggested: “It is possible that the fast pacing, where characters are constantly in motion from one thing to the next, and extreme fantasy, where the characters do things that make no sense in the real world, may disrupt the child’s ability to concentrate immediately afterward.

“Another possibility is that children identify with unfocused and frenetic characters, and then adopt their characteristics.”

Or perhaps kids just want something with a bit of energy and verve after a day of mat sessions and handwriting practise.  Perhaps the “real world” need to adapt to kids.  Perhaps we should be doing more to capture their attention rather than trying to dull their senses by making them play endless games of Monopoly.

I’ve got an idea for a research project.  The effects of a balanced, nurturing, moderate and non-restictive lifestyle on children.

I’m guessing my reasearch proposal isn’t loopy enough to get funding.

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Posted in Child Development, Parenting | 2 Comments »

The Classroom of the Future

September 11, 2011

The Australian has an interesting examination on a method of teaching that is starting to become quite popular.  It is known by several names such as “agile learning” and “personal learning”, and it is the polar opposite from the orthodox “chalk and talk” method of teaching.

Below is an excerpt of the article:

None of that happens at Our Lady of Lourdes, in Seven Hills, in part because the number of children flowing into the room hasn’t stopped at 30, or 35, or even at 50. On the contrary, the average “class size” is 120. The children here aren’t even required to sit in a certain seat or face the front of the room, in part because there isn’t really a “front” of the room. In fact, the school doesn’t have any four-walled classrooms. It has large, well-designed “learning spaces” with bits of wall here and there. There are no desks as such; there are round tables with tub chairs, an L-shaped lounge with scatter cushions, a tall table with hydraulic bar stools and a comfy, carpeted area designed for children who want to sprawl on the floor. “It probably looks nothing like the classrooms you knew as a child,” says principal Steven Jones.

That’s for sure. What lesson could these students – some of whom are tapping away at Apple Macs, some of whom are lying on their stomachs with their heads in books, some of whom are actually headed outside – possibly be taking? “I believe it’s ‘maths’,” he says, wiggling two fingers from each hand near his ears to signal that he doesn’t mean “maths” like you and I do. “But we don’t really have ‘lessons’. We teach the curriculum, but not in the way you would remember. The days where the teacher would stand there saying, ‘Everyone sit down and listen to me’, they’re gone.”

To be clear: the curriculum stays the same – all Australian schools are required to teach certain things – it’s how the children go about learning that is changing. Teachers work in groups, not to pour information into their students but to guide them as they set about finding things out for themselves. The rules for student behaviour in these spaces differ between schools. In some cases, children are free to get a snack from their bags; in others, they can roam from one part of the space to another or take their work outside.

Whilst I enjoy witnessing change in educational methods (as anything broken requires fixing), I worry about replacing one philosophy with its polar opposite.  In my view, every child is different and needs to be catered for according to the skills, learning styles and qualities they posses.  Some will thrive in a self-directed environment, some will need rigid routines, some will enjoy having freedoms and some will need imposed discipline.

I find myself tinkering my style to suit different classes and different students.  That’s my duty.  If I teach all classes and students in the same style, I will get nowhere.  But from my experience, it isn’t about revolutionary change but rather minor, incremental change.

My gut feeling with this new innovation is that when we have some real data about its effectiveness we will find that it works brilliantly for some students whilst failing to ignite others.

Which was basically the problem this method sought to address.

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Posted in Child Development, Teaching Methods | 1 Comment »

Dealing With the Abusive Child

September 6, 2011

A number years ago I had a very difficult student who possessed a huge temper.  His volcanic-type eruptions usually came with a tirade of expletives, threats and thrown classroom items.  In short, the class and even some teachers were intimidated of him.

One day, in my first year of Primary teaching, I made him upset.  I can not recollect what I did, but you can be rest assured that it was very minor.  He was extremely livid with me and let me know all about it in a letter in which he threatened to beat me up.  In this letter he also cursed repeatedly, claimed that I treated him worse than the other students and it also contained other threats.

He left the note on my desk to read, which I did soon after he placed it on my table.  Although a bit shaken by the emotive language and violent imagery, I maintained my calm and instantly decided that he was looking for a reaction from me.  I figured that he wanted me to be angry or emotional in some way, and if I was, he would get some satisfaction from that response.

Instead, I pinned his letter on a noticeboard behind my desk in the company of thoughtful cards and messages I’d received from students.  There, front and center, amongst all these colourful “Thank You” cards, was his malicious letter.

I’m not certain how long it took him to notice the letter up there, but what I do know is that the next time I looked up at my noticeboard the letter had disappeared.  In its place was a new card, written by the same kid, thanking me for teaching him and helping him with his work.

Clearly this method wont work every time.  But I still think there is great value in keeping calm, avoiding the emotional payoff of getting angry or making threats of your own.

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Posted in Child Development, Classroom Management | Leave a Comment »

Give Parents a Break

August 30, 2011

Whilst there has and will always be bad parents, society seems very keen to judge well-meaning and loving parents far too harshly.

Parenting isn’t easy.  For all my dedication, there are times when I feel like I’ve got it wrong.  I make mistakes and I reflect and try to improve.  I’m not perfect and I’m never going to be, but it doesn’t stop me from trying my very best.

Yet the media keeps on reporting about mothers who don’t breastfeed, children who are overweight, parents who don’t discipline enough or who over-discipline or who choose childcare for their babies etc.  It’s almost as if there is an unofficial game between some members of society to make themselves feel better about their own parenting performance by panning others.

One of the trends becoming more and more popular is for children to sue their parents.  We are not talking about for child abuse or criminal activity, but rather for nothing more than being flawed parents.  Take this example doing the rounds about children suing their mother over a birthday card:

They alleged Garrity failed to take Kathryn to a car show and threatened Steven II with phoning police if he did not buckle his seatbelt.

The children claim she ‘haggled’ over dress prices and called at midnight to tell Kathryn to come home from a party, reported the Chicago Tribune.

The birthday card in question was labelled ‘inappropriate’ by Steven II as it allegedly failed to include any money.

Whilst I am relieved that common sense prevailed and the children were not successful, I wonder why the legal process took 2 years before the lawsuit could be thrown out at the appeal stage.  The court system must make a strong and unambiguous statement about the rights of parents to parent as they see fit as long as they act lawfully.
If we spend our time judging scornfully about the practices of other parents we will allow ourselves to be blinded by the improvements required in our own parenting approach.  Every child must be taught according to their own individual personality type and every child must be parented according to their own personality type.  No self-help book applies to all kids and no parenting style works on all kids.
So my advice is, stop judging others and concentrate on your own practice.

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Posted in Child Development | 1 Comment »

The Educational Implications of the London Riots

August 10, 2011

I couldn’t help but be struck by this excerpt from an article about the London Riots:

“… what I am saying is that for all of those who live and work in the poorer areas of London this disaster has been totally unsurprising. The fact of the matter is that we have manufactured within our society a sub-culture of sociopaths who care nothing for anyone or anything but themselves and are wholly unable to empathise with the suffering of others. The people most responsible for creating this social plague are the very same politicians, journalists and social commentators who are now asking “How did this happen?”

I believe that to a lesser extent the Educational system has bought into the plague too.  So consumed by its bottom line, so obsessed with the meaningless private vs public school debate and so content to take creative children and force them to conform with a robotic set of rules and regulations, that children get lost in the crowd.

I had a discussion with someone recently about the role of schools.  He felt that schools were nothing more than institutions with the responsibility of imparting knowledge.  According to him, as long as the school could point to the lessons that were taught and the curriculum that was followed, their job was done.

I believe schools have a far greater responsibility.  They must do a lot more than concentrate on prime numbers and single-celled organisms.  They must try to ensure that every child has a sense of self and an understanding of how they can use their unique skills and qualities to contribute to society.

It sounds fanciful and “airy fairy” but children today are more obsessed than ever before by wealth, gadgets, appearance and all things materialistic.  They spend so much time trying to outlook and outdo others simply because they are not happy with who they are and what they have.  The question has to be asked, besides close family members, who helps them to understand and appreciate who they are and what they can achieve?

The media is charged with unsettling them and making them fearful.  The advertising industry is charged with making them feel that without products and gadgets they cannot be happy. Where are our kids receiving the positive message they desperately need to hear?

Children often say, “Why should I be good to them if they aren’t to me.”  Those participating in the riots seem to be making that statement.  Whilst it is absolutely no excuse to do what they have done, one has to wonder who does look after the best interests of our children.  Shouldn’t the school system who has our kids throughout their crucial developmental years do more to help them find acceptance in who they are?  Shouldn’t the school system encourage them better to be themselves rather than conform?

There is no excuse for people who riot and willfully and violently break laws, but when reflecting on incidents lessons must be learnt.  Children that are supported and nurtured don’t riot.  Children who are in touch with their unique qualities and have been encouraged and accepted by others don’t riot.

We can go on preparing our students for calculus tests and chemistry assignments, but in a time of need and doubt, our students probably wont turn to calculus or tests tubes for salvation.

 

 

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Posted in Child Development | 2 Comments »

Teaching Perfectionists

August 5, 2011

I recall a lesson when I was fresh out of University, when I was  substitute teaching in school in Newcastle.  I was to give out colouring-in sheets to a Grade 1 class.  The teacher had supplied me with only 2 or 3 spare sheets for those that made an error.  Colouring-in sheets, whilst not of any obvious educational value, is a great babysitting device.  Most kids love them because they do not involve any thinking or grading and most teachers appreciate the fact that students can do them both quietly and independently.

On this occasion one of the girls came up to me and asked me for a replacement sheet.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“Can I have another sheet?  I messed up this one.”

She presented the sheet to me and I was immediately struck by how beautiful it looked.  Her worked showed striking attention to detail and great care for staying within the lines.

“But what’s wrong with this picture? It looks fabulous to me.”

“It’s terrible.  I made a big mistake.  Look, I went out on the lines.”

Even with her pointing to the spot where she trespassed the line I had to squint to see the infringement.

“You don’t need another sheet.  This is fine.  I wouldn’t even call that a mistake.”

“But I never go out of the lines.  Mum told me never to colour out of the lines.”

I don’t know what got into me, but I instinctively gave her a new sheet and asked her to go out of the lines multiple times – this time on purpose.

You should have seen the horror in her eyes.

Then I turned to the class and announced that the class do the same thing.  I said I was looking for work that featured colouring out of the lines. The class just stared out in confusion.

“C’mon it’ll be fun.  Let’s colour out of the lines!

And all of a sudden they started doing as I suggested.  And they loved it!  They laughed, coloured with energy and abandon and enjoyed comparing their imperfect work with others.

The girl in question saw her classmates having so much fun making mistakes, she too went back to her desk and revelled in this weird but cathartic exercise.  We even sang a colouring out of the lines song.

I don’t know whether I did something constructive or destructive, but I can report that the class looked so much more relaxed and happier when mistakes were acceptable and perfection was bypassed.

Teachers tend to allow the perfectionist to continue their habits.  This is because perfectionists are a pleasure to have in the classroom.  They take their studies seriously, try their best at all times and listen attentively to instructions.

But the problem is perfectionism is extremely unhealthy.  Parents often laugh it off and say, “She get’s that from me.  I’m a bit like that too.”  But is it really a joke?  Perfectionists are on a hiding to nothing because the goal they aim for is impossible to reach.  The inevitable consequences of perfectionism is that they never get the satisfaction of their efforts or accept people’s praise because all they can see is what they didn’t get right.

I am all for studious, hardworking students, but not at the expense of their right to enjoy the fruits of their hard work and the joy of basking in their achievements.

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Posted in Child Development | 2 Comments »

The Insanity of Modern Educational Thinking

July 27, 2011

Below is an article that exemplified the absolute lack of balance and common sense in our Education system.  To have three separate school uniforms in the one school grounds, with each uniform representing a different learning ability, is just plain insane!  It is demeaning, offensive, inexcusable and achieves the exact opposite of what a school is supposed to achieve.

A school isn’t just a place where information is disseminated.  Schools serve as  a microcosm for society as a whole.  They prepare students for the challenges faced in the real world.  They are supposed to help children realise the importance of responsibility, empathy, teamwork, leadership, perseverance and acceptance.

But do they really?

Children from aged 11 are being segregated, taught in colour-coordinated buildings, playing in separate fenced-off areas and eat lunch at different times.

The move has caused concern that it is stigmatising children who are placed in lower quality sets.

Pupils are ranked as they leave primary school and placed into one of three mini schools at Crown Woods College, Greenwich.

The brightest go to Delamere and wear purple ties and purple badges. The rest go to Ashwood, which wears blue, or Sherwood, which wears red.

The two latter schools are made up of pupils with mixed abilities but are still streamed into three tiers.

Critics have warned that the move is demoralising for pupils and encourages resentment and animosity amongst those in different sets.

Michael Murphy, the head teacher at the comprehensive, said: “I felt if we made explicit the provision for high-ability children we would be able to attract those children and their parents who would rather not put them in to a grammar.”

“Mrs Thatcher said you can’t ignore the market, you have to respond to it.”

Kevin Courtney, deputy secretary of the National Union of Teachers has condemned the practice.

He said: ‘The idea of taking a large school and turning it into three mini schools is likely to be good for [the school’s] relationships, but streaming is a step backwards. It leads to competition for children rather than improvement in teaching.”

Labelling a student based on their current learning level is extremely damaging.  Schools should be doing all they can to eliminating labels and focussing not on what makes us different, but rather, on the things which unite us.  We all want to feel respected and cared about.  We want to be appreciated for the skills we have and supported in obtaining skills that don’t come easy to us.

Instead of drawing attention to discrepancies in ability, we should be drawing attention to the fact that each and every child has unique qualities which make them important.  Just like a vibrant society requires people from all walks of life, political perspectives and skills, a schoolyard does too.

How would teachers like it if they were colour coded according to their teaching ability?

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Posted in Child Development, Child Welfare, Education Policy | 1 Comment »

Our Kids Are the Digital Revolution!

June 29, 2011

It’s a very different childhood to the one we experienced.

SEVEN in 10 Australian households have access to the internet at home, one in five of us want to work less and the most popular physical activity is walking, the latest data on social trends shows.

Four out of every five children aged 5-14 use the internet, making them the digital generation, and 86 per cent of households with children aged under 15 have access to the internet at home, the latest Australian social trends study from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows.

Eighty five per cent of children used the internet for educational activities, 69 per cent played online games, 47 per cent used the internet to download music and 22 per cent used it for social networking.

Only two out of three households without children had access to the internet at home, the study found.

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Posted in Child Development, Technology | 2 Comments »

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