"Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold. A circle's round, it has no end. That's how long I want to be your friend."
motto for summer. also promising myself to buy Lemonheads consistently.
Wednesday, May 25
Sunday, May 22
Indoctrination
So I've been working with some older children at my job. They're around three and a half, and they are mostly very sweet and eager to learn what we have to teach. This majority is dear to me. But the deviants are even more so; they are interesting, witty, silly, and
straight up bratty. Without really finding the more "difficult" children superior to the nice ones, I can relate to them better. I have to say that although I'm talented at playing the bad guy, at taking the firm hand, secretly the best moments of each day come with vicarious rebellion.
But I play my role. I tell the unruly ones that they're being disruptive, I take away their privileges, and I compare them to their more docile classmates.
I see the purpose of order in the classroom. Our kids leave our Pre-K so sharp, so ready, and that's because they were able to concentrate on and understand their lessons. Most instructional formats, at their age anyway, are still really fun. But why don't some children respond as well to them?
I don't know.
Without meaning "indoctrination" with its usual negative connotations, I'm thinking about its nature.I just want to be aware of all the slight messages that the background of the children's education sends.
Do I really want children to be quiet? And to hurry up, clean up, line up? I've heard it said that a college degree nowadays is less job training than it is proof that you can follow orders, meet deadlines, and persist. That makes me feel like a loser, like I'm just supposed to be manipulatable.
But that is what a company wants from you, maybe until you out-perform, get promoted, and then manipulate others. Sort of like coming of age, maturing, and becoming an adult (or a teacher, or a parent!) Manipulation isn't always evil; I think it's just important to keep the end result in sight. The end result isn't a degree. It's a person. What kind of person? That's why the social background is important.
I really don't want children to be quiet. That's actually a decided fact in my mind. What I can't decide is whether I should emphasize the importance of being successful, or that of being nice to your friends.
Attitudes start so early. To the five year old who once stared defiantly into her teacher's face and said, "I'll never listen": when you're learning, you should listen, but then you should talk and talk and talk.
straight up bratty. Without really finding the more "difficult" children superior to the nice ones, I can relate to them better. I have to say that although I'm talented at playing the bad guy, at taking the firm hand, secretly the best moments of each day come with vicarious rebellion.
But I play my role. I tell the unruly ones that they're being disruptive, I take away their privileges, and I compare them to their more docile classmates.
I see the purpose of order in the classroom. Our kids leave our Pre-K so sharp, so ready, and that's because they were able to concentrate on and understand their lessons. Most instructional formats, at their age anyway, are still really fun. But why don't some children respond as well to them?
I don't know.
Without meaning "indoctrination" with its usual negative connotations, I'm thinking about its nature.I just want to be aware of all the slight messages that the background of the children's education sends.
Do I really want children to be quiet? And to hurry up, clean up, line up? I've heard it said that a college degree nowadays is less job training than it is proof that you can follow orders, meet deadlines, and persist. That makes me feel like a loser, like I'm just supposed to be manipulatable.
But that is what a company wants from you, maybe until you out-perform, get promoted, and then manipulate others. Sort of like coming of age, maturing, and becoming an adult (or a teacher, or a parent!) Manipulation isn't always evil; I think it's just important to keep the end result in sight. The end result isn't a degree. It's a person. What kind of person? That's why the social background is important.
I really don't want children to be quiet. That's actually a decided fact in my mind. What I can't decide is whether I should emphasize the importance of being successful, or that of being nice to your friends.
Attitudes start so early. To the five year old who once stared defiantly into her teacher's face and said, "I'll never listen": when you're learning, you should listen, but then you should talk and talk and talk.
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