For NYPD the Thin Blue Line was a phrase used by officers to describe an unwritten rule - not to rat on fellow officers who may have committed a crime. In other words it was a synonym for a cover up.An officer would retreat behind a wall of silence or simply not do the needful investigation if a fellow cop was a suspect, come hell or high water. I am using the phrase to mean the line between what educators call pushing and what is a challenge.
Now there are many schools of thought here. Many educators in the last decade have advocated strictly positive reinforcements messages to get the child to do what is required. But I feel that is not enough because it is like tarring everyone with same brush. Most kids today are far smarter than their parents and teachers in many ways and know when to push the right buttons. And we all have to admit that kids are hard work whether smart or not since they keep you off balance all the time. No day will be the same as the one gone by or the one that is coming. Now here is where the teachers come in. Before I make my point I must pause to say that being a teacher or a doctor can never be just a job or a career since both professions wield an enormous amount of influence on people's lives. A good teacher can make a child rise far above his or her intrinsic ability. My problem is that most educators view this as just a another job. I feel if we give the children the opportunity to learn they will regardless This is an effort which the teacher has to put in. They have to get involved and they have to feel and they have to intuitively assess where the child is, to offer him or her better challenges. Self motivation is not something a six year old or even a ten year old has, somebody has to do it for them. If parents and educators wait for this it may be too late.
Unfortunately, to cover up what they are lacking, there is an astonishing amount of stonewalling by the schools. They seem to want to bring everything done to the lowest common denominator and will try as much as they can to avoid or discourage questions. I can hear the collective gasp of outrage across the teaching community here and though I know some very good teachers the above is what perhaps most parents have come to experience. No supervisor or deputy head or principal will admit any wrong by the staff and yet nothing changes. What is worse they discourage the parents from expecting more from the child. Somewhere there seems to be a disconnect. Why is it so wrong to expect your child to work a little more than what is strictly required? Life is no ball game when they grow up and if they learn to give their best and expect no less effort from themselves then they will be better adults in society when they are older.
Take Amy Chua book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother". A lot has been said about her methods but if we look at it objectively it was just a memoir of her efforts and her mistakes. But there a big lesson in that for all parents. While genius come at a price it is not wrong to expect the best from your child. If we can find a method where we praise and reprimand equally and at the right time the kids actually respect and love you more. So Amy Chua's methods were definitely pressure but getting your child to buckle down and do some extra work every day, even if it is for 1/2 hour is not. I have personally seen the joy and the sense of achievement my daughter has when I do not let her give in when she finds something hard. So mums please do not listen to the teacher alone- sometimes your instincts work better. Besides no child comes with a handbook and every child has different abilities. Celebrate that and above all do not let them give up!!
Now there are many schools of thought here. Many educators in the last decade have advocated strictly positive reinforcements messages to get the child to do what is required. But I feel that is not enough because it is like tarring everyone with same brush. Most kids today are far smarter than their parents and teachers in many ways and know when to push the right buttons. And we all have to admit that kids are hard work whether smart or not since they keep you off balance all the time. No day will be the same as the one gone by or the one that is coming. Now here is where the teachers come in. Before I make my point I must pause to say that being a teacher or a doctor can never be just a job or a career since both professions wield an enormous amount of influence on people's lives. A good teacher can make a child rise far above his or her intrinsic ability. My problem is that most educators view this as just a another job. I feel if we give the children the opportunity to learn they will regardless This is an effort which the teacher has to put in. They have to get involved and they have to feel and they have to intuitively assess where the child is, to offer him or her better challenges. Self motivation is not something a six year old or even a ten year old has, somebody has to do it for them. If parents and educators wait for this it may be too late.
Unfortunately, to cover up what they are lacking, there is an astonishing amount of stonewalling by the schools. They seem to want to bring everything done to the lowest common denominator and will try as much as they can to avoid or discourage questions. I can hear the collective gasp of outrage across the teaching community here and though I know some very good teachers the above is what perhaps most parents have come to experience. No supervisor or deputy head or principal will admit any wrong by the staff and yet nothing changes. What is worse they discourage the parents from expecting more from the child. Somewhere there seems to be a disconnect. Why is it so wrong to expect your child to work a little more than what is strictly required? Life is no ball game when they grow up and if they learn to give their best and expect no less effort from themselves then they will be better adults in society when they are older.
Take Amy Chua book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother". A lot has been said about her methods but if we look at it objectively it was just a memoir of her efforts and her mistakes. But there a big lesson in that for all parents. While genius come at a price it is not wrong to expect the best from your child. If we can find a method where we praise and reprimand equally and at the right time the kids actually respect and love you more. So Amy Chua's methods were definitely pressure but getting your child to buckle down and do some extra work every day, even if it is for 1/2 hour is not. I have personally seen the joy and the sense of achievement my daughter has when I do not let her give in when she finds something hard. So mums please do not listen to the teacher alone- sometimes your instincts work better. Besides no child comes with a handbook and every child has different abilities. Celebrate that and above all do not let them give up!!
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