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This article explores the fundamental questions of education: why do we educate children and what do we hope to achieve? It delves into different views on education and emphasizes the importance of personal development, social and emotional well-being, and happiness in education. The article also highlights the role and qualities of a good adult in a child's education.
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We need to regularly ask ourselves some fundamental questions that should return us to why we ever chose to work with children in the first place!
There are many different views about what education is about. Is it simply about making children literate and numerate as quickly as possible? What about computer literacy? Or emotional literacy? Or visual literacy? Is it about developing creativity? Is it about social and emotional well-being? Or good attitudes to learning? Perhaps a major factor to consider in evaluating research projects is the extent to which short-term gains in attainment may get in the way of long-term achievements.
I personally have one, and only one main aim….To help shape, guide,encourage and developwhole human beings who: like themselves, like others and are liked by others.
What qualities are we looking for in a child and helping develop?
Caring, curious, spontaneous, motivated, contented, energetic, individual, a risk taker, creative, inventive, emotional, inquisitive, thoughtful, passionate, robust, adaptable, a team player, determined, enthusiastic, open-minded, brave, patient, proud, generous, expressive, relaxed, organised, disciplined, rigorous….
Super SevenConfident!Caring!Curious!Communicative!Character!Contented!Conditioned!
Others it seems have a different agenda….Capable!Challenged!Curriculum driven!Competitive!Career focused!Credentials!
All too often…Cautious!Centred on self!Chased!Checked!Circuit trained!Cosseted!Coached!Coasting!Can’t coexist!Complex!Controlled!Controlling!
What is the point of being outstanding at mathematics, if you are unhappy, unpopular and find it difficult to socialize?
What is the point of being able to play the piano brilliantly, if you don’t like yourself much and others don’t like you much either?
Throughout each day, at some point in every lesson and across all subjects, we should be asking ourselves:“What contribution am I making to these children’s personal development?”
We therefore have to put personaldevelopment at the top of our list of goals and recognise that we must address social and emotional issues first and throughout a child’s education and beyond it.
Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have!
The most important goal of education is to nurture a man (and woman!) to become a better human-being.Plato(and woman!!)
You can teach a child a lesson in a day, but if you can teach curiosity, they will continue learning as long as they live!P.Bedford Clay
What is the most valuable resource or item of equipment in and setting?
Put Practitioners back into their Proper Place!(Away from pointless paperwork and back towards precious little people!)
“ I have come to a frightening conclusion. I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humour, hurt or heal. In all situations it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanised or de-humanised”.Written by a teacher.
Do you realise just how important you are and what power you have?
What does a good adult look like?What qualities are necessary?
Here is a clue!Think back to your favourite teacher, member of staff at a nursery, childminder or someone who you work with now and greatly admire.What were they like and what made them memorable?
Passionate humorousslightly eccentricuniqueexpressive and animated spontaneous sometimeslived and loved their subjectunderstood memade me feel valuedconsistent and fair constructive and praised regularlyorganisedhad controlfound timechecked you understood lessons were original,never the same
At the end of the day, your planning may be meticulous, your classroom highly stimulating and activities well matched and exciting….
….but, if as a practitioner you do not have both the personality and nature which gives you the ability to understand and connect with children, then you will never be an effective teacher.
I’m looking for practitioners who can seize an opportunity and ignite curiosity!
It is not so much what you deliver, as the way you deliver it!
I am worried that we are beginning to forget how to teach and engage!
I want to see the practitioner’s face as much as possible not the back of their heads!
Fossil Fun!I think my fossil is a:_______It is:_______ long.It is:_______ wide.It weighs:_______.I can see these colours in it:____________________
Enthusiasm and passion do not blur clear objectivesand outcomes!
When the subject to be taught interests you, the delivery will naturally be better presented!
This doesn’t mean you have to be a raving lunatic! (But being slightly mad helps!)Also, yes you do have to be well prepared and planned, aware of classroom organisation, able to create a rich environment, effective at discipline and….But….
