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The Best Teachers In My Life
Africa is a continent where the scenes of refugee camps are a common sight. Homeless and without food and shelter, many African natives huddle together in make-shift shelters, trying to withstand the brutal reality of the life they face; hunger, death, sickness, violence, loss of family members, you name it, and in most cases where morals mean nothing in the struggle to survive. It is under these circumstances that the emergency educators endeavor to make a difference, a difference starting with little children.
Children are the ones who are the worst victims of violence, terror and family loss, and are made use of for everything unethical from drug trafficking, theft, and carrying arms to even unhealthy early teenage sex.
Parents and teachers have important roles to play in the life of a child. While parents are there by default, teachers on the other hand enter the life of a child out of training and a commitment towards the betterment of the child. Both have independent and equally important roles to play and hence the parent is the representative at home and the teacher that of the classroom; the child's second home, or home away from home. However, when there is a mix of these two roles in one particular area such as the school campus, with parents offering to help at school, there could be a clash of titans.
Throughout history, art and music have been used for their healing properties in some form or another. However, medical science, through research, especially the past few decades, has validated its scientific implications in the healing process of an individual. There are times when medication may be skipped for the music / art alternative in hospitals,(research done at Harvard Medical School), to lower stress levels and bring about physical well being.
It is not an uncommon sight to see children as the worst victims of human suffering.
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There are some forms of student behaviors that have posed a challenge universally to all teachers. However much they try to avoid it, teachers are bound to confront any one of these challenges from time to time. It takes knack and understanding for a teacher to develop that sixth sense in detecting the onset of such habits and mannerisms. The three most challenging student behaviors seen all over the world based on case studies are: * Disruptive Behavior
* Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
* Violent or Threatening Behavior
According to the U. S. Department of education, 38% of U.S. fourth graders are unable to read simple sentences. It is an alarming fact and indicates that either these children have reading disabilities or they have not been given proper guidance on how to develop good reading skills.
A child's brain from birth till the age of 7 is like a sponge, absorbing anything and everything that comes its way. It is a jumbled sequence of visual and auditory messages, and when channelled and nurtured with proper guidance can be converted into meaningful expressions, one among them is reading just as much as speech is.
Positive classroom culture is an achievement brought about as a result of dedication and team work. It is a reflection of the well being of the class and is primarily dependent on the enthusiasm and character of the teacher. Positive classroom culture begins with the teacher staying positive and having a command over the class.
A good atmosphere and positive culture may be developed in a classroom by simple techniques. They do not have to be drastic measures that make one uncomfortable to introduce, but rather they are simple measures that keep away the uncomfortable scenes.
Stereotyping is a term that became popular by psychiatrists during the 19th century. It is described as a type of repetitive and persistent behaviour, casting a person in preset moulds devoid of individuality. It is an offensive, risky and unhealthy practice that gives rise to tense situations of prejudices, racism and ethnic discrimination.
Stereotyping arises from a lack of discernment, a lack of awareness about another's cultural values, a misinformation of facts about people from other races or cultures , a generalization that all communities other than one's own are inferior and not worth the attention for credit and a generalization that other communities are all alike.
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"All professions are possible only because of teachers."
The first year at school for a new teacher, especially a fresher just out of the Teacher's Training Institute, can be a challenging and demanding time. It is considered the most difficult in the life of a young teaching professional, and the outcome of it may determine how dedicated he or she will be to the profession.
Education, to many cultures, may have different aspects, but all boils down to the fact that a child is taught to read and write. At heart, every human being questions, searches for answers and reasons, but how much training has been imparted to make the most of these characteristics varies from culture to culture. There is no one rule to determine which nations are better and which are worse as many factors contribute to the growth of education in any given populace.
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Zone ManagerHelium member since Jan 26, 09 Education: Indian Institute of Pl... Post Graduate Diploma in Hospital Management |
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Parents are our first teachers and always the best. I have grown up with an informal training in the art of being a teacher through the exceptionally outstanding, professional and artistic influences of two great teachers in my life; my mother and my grandmother. 
Similar was the case with my late grandmom Pearl. She had 40+ (50?) years of teaching experience and worked till (but a few days before) she passed away at the age of 79 in January 2005. I have never personally known a person who had / has three Bachelors Degrees and three Masters Degrees apart from accumulating certificates in teaching, and spending hours studying for an exam even with her grandchildren running around her. Born and brought up in India, where many girls are still denied the right to proper education, she stands out as a model for those who have a passion and believe in dreams. Her usual phrase was "Where there is a will, there is a way."
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