Job Discussion Forums

poopsicola · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 111 Location: World travelling

You're on track, Kev. Keep at it. You'll end with cooperative kids striving for success who will, ultimately, thank you for establishing standards and limits. Good for you.

vikdk · Joined: 25 Jun 2003 Posts: 1676

lobster - I'm for education that respects the individual - one that perceives students both as equals (in rights and expectation of respect) but different with respect to individual talents and interest. This viewpoint (held by most modern western educational methods) seems to produce societies where people are allowed to voice their rights and campaign freely on many issues. Of course a lot of social-problems occur at the same time - but just to blame this on the right to individuality is a little harsh - after all isnt it break-downs in the reward and failure system (the sticker system blown up a few million times Laughing

) that leads to unemployment, poor social welfare and other social woes - something that also has a hand in this Question

As for the pragmatism of stickers - there is also a definite pragmatism in using the principles of sound education in your practice - one of which calls for a respect of childhood where knowledge is not something to be forced onto the small child through the promise of payment, but something that entertains, intrigues and fascinates!!!

SueH · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 1022 Location: Northern Italy

vikdk · Joined: 25 Jun 2003 Posts: 1676

cj750 · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Posts: 3081 Location: Beijing

vikdk · Joined: 25 Jun 2003 Posts: 1676

riding about on a copy of a Russian Dnieper and calling it a BMW replica - earns a swat from this shu shu Laughing

Steppenwolf · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 1769

I find it unfair for someone to pick on a FT for his efforts at instilling young learners with respect for others (not just respect for the individual brat)! Honestly, how can one attack an FT for rewarding/refusing to reward the inadapted, noncomformist student?

We don't expect them to be cookie-cutter shapes either, do we? Students, on the other hand, do view us as role models imbued with a certain level of authority, and if you do not exercise your authority you are quickly perceived as a failure.

BY the way, the Chinese do not view students as "individuals". Why do they have such horrendously crowded classrooms? Don't tell me it's the money only! IT's their strange belief that you can better socialise large numbers than individual ones. Chinese even strongly believe it's in the best interest of everyone including their own children to be brought up together with children from other families - hence the popularity of boarding schools. Ask any Chinese parent and you will hear this! THis certainly runs counter to your or my ideal of indivudation. Chinese education is not about exzcellence through competition - it's about conformity and aspiring to achieve common goals. No CHild is encouraged to grow taller - intellectually - than others; finishing school is in itself a goal that shows how "respectful" the young learner is of tradition.

This explains - to me anyway - why some classes are impossible to handle while others are extremely easy to do. When I taught at a private experimental school last year I was faced with entire classes that were disruptive; their head teacher watched me struggle with the noisiest kids without offering any help, prompting me to ask her to quieten them down.
Her reply? "We only reward the good students...or good behaviour! PUt a 'heart' on the black board and write the names of the students who behave well...the others will, perhaps, follow their example!"
Well, the "perhaps" says it all. Or doesn't it?