“I've come to the frightening conclusioin that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a 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 humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.”
Identity for the teachers
Identity for the teachers. What is identity?
Each one of us believe that we support our family. We work. We do something. We are here for something. We relate to each other. We are an authority. We do something for someone. We give something for someone. We receive something from someone. We are all these, because of the identies.
We are a brother, husband, father, teacher, neighbour, engineer, philanthropist, social activitst, a book reader, a sponsor, a driver, an author, a poet, a cleaner, an artist and thus carry all these identities. Above all, we carry a name.
These identities create beliefs.
Similarly for teachers, certain identiies influence them to believe. A science teacher teaches science because she is one. A head master is strict because he is one. A primary school teacher does not look beyond because he is one.
An useful identity for teachers is "I am the architect of the future".
Hold on to this identity and see things transforming for better.
Each one of us believe that we support our family. We work. We do something. We are here for something. We relate to each other. We are an authority. We do something for someone. We give something for someone. We receive something from someone. We are all these, because of the identies.
We are a brother, husband, father, teacher, neighbour, engineer, philanthropist, social activitst, a book reader, a sponsor, a driver, an author, a poet, a cleaner, an artist and thus carry all these identities. Above all, we carry a name.
These identities create beliefs.
Similarly for teachers, certain identiies influence them to believe. A science teacher teaches science because she is one. A head master is strict because he is one. A primary school teacher does not look beyond because he is one.
An useful identity for teachers is "I am the architect of the future".
Hold on to this identity and see things transforming for better.
Our children are labeled
Accept the fact that our children have been labelled. Either we as parents label them or the teacher label them. I had been to my kid's school for the parents teachers meeting. The class teacher had some observation and we responded. There was another parent to whom the class teacher was explaining the "labels" she has framed on the child. The body language and the language of the parent was shifting between supporting the teacher's view and then to advise the child. The label the child gets during his / her formative days help construct beliefs, experiences, thinking models and the future itself.
Talking of skills, we are in a world of peer pressure. We decide what skills our children should get based on what the other kids do. The kid cannot really differentiate (and also the parents), what is needed for her for that age. A karate class on one side, a music on the other, a language class here and regular school there. What do you build or dump in your kid, finally?
Talking of disabilities, I believe there is nothing like disabliity. Every one has a different neuro structure. We have been designed in a certain way. The moment we label a kid with a 'disability' tag, the tension mounts. I would say 'anger' is a disability for the man kind. I would say 'worry' is another disability. Because both these emotions disable us from being a better human.
So, lets get off the tag, "disability" atleast for our kids.
The book "Our Labelled Children: What every Parent and Teacher needs to know about learning disabilities" is in my wishlist.
Talking of skills, we are in a world of peer pressure. We decide what skills our children should get based on what the other kids do. The kid cannot really differentiate (and also the parents), what is needed for her for that age. A karate class on one side, a music on the other, a language class here and regular school there. What do you build or dump in your kid, finally?
Talking of disabilities, I believe there is nothing like disabliity. Every one has a different neuro structure. We have been designed in a certain way. The moment we label a kid with a 'disability' tag, the tension mounts. I would say 'anger' is a disability for the man kind. I would say 'worry' is another disability. Because both these emotions disable us from being a better human.
So, lets get off the tag, "disability" atleast for our kids.
The book "Our Labelled Children: What every Parent and Teacher needs to know about learning disabilities" is in my wishlist.
I touch future
I dedicate this blog to all the teachers and students community because they together constitute the future. The world is better because of the teachers. The world is better because of the students.
Lets teach by living the principles.
Lets teach by living the principles.
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