Happy Friday Peeps!
It’s a mere 7 weeks and 2 days until Christmas!! 6 of those weeks are school-time though, so let’s be sensible for a minute and talk education:
The biggest problems in schools often stem from issues having nothing to do with the lessons themselves. If a child is prejudiced it’s probably learned from an adult they respect; if they’re being bullied their mind will be elsewhere; if the parents have low expectations of the school, then so will the kids.
Please watch what is said by all the adults around your child, not just in your homes. I’ve countless stories of young children swearing because their uncle/grandparents/babysitter do even if the parents have never uttered a bad word in their lives.
The thing that hurts the most is that some adults ‘talk down’ school saying it never did any good for them, it’s a waste of time, etc. Even if it’s true for them, it may not be true today. Anyone educated before 1988 wouldn’t have been under the child protection laws we have now and were at risk of caning as a punishment. Pre-1980s they wouldn’t have been able to classify a lot of educational needs such as dyspraxia and therefore wouldn’t have known how to support it.
Even more recently, I worked in a school that had a terrible reputation and was poorly run. It was one of my daughter’s options so I went to the open evening with her and it took every ounce of my self-control not to say what I thought, but I let her choose. She chose the school she’s at now, but the other school has completely changed in the last 2 years and actually has good management and a much better reputation…so it’s not just ‘tales from the olden days’ to be wary of.
I guess what I’m saying is don’t diss school as it rubs off on the kids! Simple as that.
My parents told me to find something good in the teacher I didn’t like, it’s good advice. My daughter recently didn’t want to do a particular lesson, but I pointed out that it doesn’t last forever and it’s a step towards her dream job…try to stay positive, to make it easier for the children to be positive too.
This, of course, is not limited to education, a positive outlook will help you and the kids around you in all sorts of ways.
Have a happy and blessed Friday my chums.
Anna x
A Peace of Life 