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Running head: Educating our children Name: University: Lecturer: Date: The best way to educate our children Outline of contents Contents Page Executive summary 3 Paper outline 5 Introduction 7 The role of parents 7 Initial days at school 7 Respect for authority 8 Classroom interaction 8 Role modeling 8 Conclusion 9 Reference 10 Executive summary This paper explores the methods of teaching children that have evolved over time. It seeks to identify the best method amongst them, based on their observed efficacy. It should be noted that while all educational institutions strive to improve their methods, sometimes these methods end up becoming self defeating. For example, in the second half of the 20 th Century, American learning systems became highly influenced by psychiatry studies of young children.
This influence led to the learning systems adapting a curriculum that focused more on the childrens states of mind. In the process however, the information content of the educational systems was sacrificed, and the results were socially adept youngsters but with little technical skills (Gene, 1999). In mathematics, changes in course designs have led most children to develop unrealistic, wishful thinking mindsets. Originally, mathematics was taught through rigorous, repetitive schemes that made the child develop a realistic, patient frame of mind.
Now, with the increasing number of concepts to be taught, children are being hurried through the education system. The result is a child who is familiar with mathematical concepts, but would be hard pressed to put them into practice. Such a child can eventually solve any mathematical problem, given infinite time and prodding (Alan, 1995). Real life, however, does not have infinite amounts of time, so such a child is likely to have a hard life afterwards. Efforts by education bodies to streamline the learning process have floundered severally in the past. In 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education condemned the education bodies, saying that they were eroding the quality of education in America.
Apparently, new books being published were being designed to meet the writers personal opinions, instead of being objective and factual. Thus, children would end up adopting opinions and unproven theories as facts (Samuel, 1995). Such children could never hope to operate effectively in the real world. From the above examples, it is clear that optimizing the learning process for children is a complex process.
In fact, looking for one system that will work everywhere is unrealistic. The best compromise, then, is to have a system that satisfies the highest number of children in the learning institution, without obvious leanings towards any special learning group. That is what this paper hopes to achieve. Paper outline Introduction: children learn best from their environs. They emulate what they see or hear around themselves. They are very impressionable and dont judge what they perceive.
Adults need to be careful with what they expose the children to. The role of parents: Children see their parents as their role models. Children try to emulate everything that they see their parents doing. Parents should themselves have the principles and values that they would like their children to have. Initial days at school: Children need to feel that they are being understood.
The first days at school can play havoc with a childs confidence. All the new ideas being presented may make a child feel inadequate. Teachers play the important role of reassuring the child and restoring the confidence levels. Every child should be given adequate attention and encouraged to express his / her ideas. Respect for authority: Before they can start learning within a school, children need to first learn to respect authority.
They should be taught about the authority system within the school. They should understand why they need to respect the authority system. It is better to reinforce discipline through non-physical means. Classroom interaction: Children should be actively involved in all classroom activities. All classroom activities should be interactive between the children and the teacher, and amongst the children themselves. New ideas are better presented as suggestions, to give the child a scope for individual interpretation and hence better assimilation.
Role modeling: Having a role model is a natural tendency in children that can be utilized by the school system. The school should occasionally invite successful, admirable people into the school, to share their wisdom with the children. Occasionally, the children should be taken on trips to successful enterprises, to help them focus on success. Conclusion: The learning process should be designed in such a way as to always hold the childrens attention.
It should be fun and creative. It should also be intuitive. Introduction Right from the time that they are infants, children start emulating what they see and hear. Their minds are developing then at a very high rate, and they are very receptive to new information. However, lacking experience, little children lack a reference frame on which to judge what they perceive. They are thus very impressionable, and can develop bad traits just as well as they can get the good ones.
It all depends on what they are exposed to. Parents and teachers hence need to be very cautious with what they expose their children at an early age. The role of parents The greatest teaching aide for any growing child is actually the parent. Parents are a childs first role mode. When young, these children watch their parents closely, and try to emulate what their parents are doing or saying. Parents therefore can easily mould their childrens lifetime values and principles by actually living by them.
They should strive to always uphold all values that they would like to teach their children. The bottom line is that you cant teach a child what you dont know or practice (Kidshealth, N. D. ). Initial days at school In the school environment, children usually start by feeling somewhat inferior.
They are suddenly supposed to contend with new acquaintances that they didnt know before. There are all manner of new concepts to learn. Teachers hence have a vital role to play in making the child comfortable in the school environment. The child should be allowed to express his / her thoughts. These thoughts should also be given attention, to make the child know that he / she is valued within the school environment. This way, the childs confidence levels are not undermined, and the child is more receptive to the formal education.
Respect for authority Once the child knows that he / she is accepted in the new school environment, the teachers should then instill in them a respect for authority. The child should know that there is a hierarchy within the school system, and that orders from superiors are always to be followed. This does not have to be enforced in a physical way, unless the child is deliberately head-strong. In fact, the best way of making children respect authority is by letting them find out by themselves the virtues of following instructions (Kay, 1998). Classroom interaction Once the child has learnt to respect the teachers, he / she is ready to assimilate new skills and concepts. The concepts should be presented in an interactive way.
A good practice is to involve the child in the classroom activities by asking for suggestions, rather than asking direct questions. This reinforces the idea that the childs opinions are valued, and that information is not necessarily being forced down on them. The child then learns to express his / her opinions better, and to shape his / her way of thinking from the responses that his / her suggestions elicit (Kristin, 2001). Role modeling Children tend to get role models as they grow up.
The role models are people whom they admire completely, and draw inspiration from. In the school environment, this role-modeling can be utilized by having occasional visits by prominent, successful people. These people should narrate to the children how they came to be successful. When the children see a real-life model of success, they aspire to be just like that person.
Visualization is important here, so if the visitors can actually provide visible evidence of their success, so much the better. Trips can also be organized to take the children to see successful businesses in operation. This way, the children will learn to focus on success from an early age (Banji, N. D. ).
Conclusion All in all, the learning process should be subtle, fun and creative. Eliminating notions of boredom from the curriculum greatly enhances the learning process. It should also be intuitive. The child should be able draw useful conclusions from the lessons, instead of trying to memorize alien concepts. This way, the lessons stay ingrained within the childs memory. Reference Alan Selby (1995) Modern education and critical thinking Retrieved from web accessed on 6 th March, 2009 Banji (N.
D. ). 5 subtle tips to teach children about money Retrieved on 22 nd February from web Gene Zimmer (1999) How Psychiatry & Modern Psychology Subvert Education, and Harm Children and Society Retrieved from web accessed on 6 th March, 2009 Kay Kuzman Easy Obedience: Teaching Children Self-discipline with Love Review and Herald Pub Assoc, 1998 Pgs 73 - 75. Kidshealth (N. D. ) Teaching your child tolerance Retrieved on 22 nd February from web Kristin Stanberry (2001) Teaching kids better ways to express anger Retrieved on 22 nd February from web Samuel L. Brumenfeld (1995) Public education. The point of no return: Are we there yet? Retrieved from web accessed on 6 th March, 2009
Free research essays on topics related to: learning process, executive summary, classroom activities, school environment, role models
Research essay sample on Classroom Activities Role Models
