People work harder and have hope when they know someone cares.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Real Life Issues
Kudos to We ARE always learning ... too often we take a "one size fits all" to education that demoralizes many young people and doesn't take advantage of their interests, talents, and aspirations. And this is not to say that what students initially report, if we take the time to ask, as interests, talents, and aspirations are authentic. Our culture has an insidious way of coaxing us into believing that we want things that are often not compatible with our true nature or best interests. Students are not immune to this process and have increasingly been targeted over the past several decades to become better workers, soldiers, and consumers. Too often what we are working on, fighting for, or consuming becomes an interference rather than an enhancement to learning and living. But with time and attention from observant and caring teachers, parents, and mentors, children can reconnect to who they really are as individuals. When this occurs their natural curiosity returns, inspiration is kindled, and real learning begins to take place. Those of us who are fortunate to witness this are indeed privileged.
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4 comments:
I'm just following in your footsteps, albion . . .
How does mentoring fit in with urban education at its best?
Hi Cuz -
Students in general and those in urban environments in particular face a host of issues and need all the support they can get. No single approach is going to meet all those needs. But mentoring is a significant tool in that toolbox. Research shows that a supportive relationship with an adult (not necessarily a parent) can go a long way in reducing risk factors and building resiliency.
Speaking of tools, I have been working in the area of helping teachers to seamlessly integrate prevention of real life issues (substance abuse, violence, bullying, social ostracism, sexually transmitted disease, etc.) into classes across the k-12 curriculum. We have two websites that assist us in this work. The first (http://www.neiu.edu/~k12pac/)is for k-12 teachers and the second (http://www.neiu.edu/~k12pac/ndci) is a training website for College of Education faculty members. Although they do not deal specifically with mentoring they may be useful those interested in your blog. Let me know what you think.
Albion
eloquently said!
I think this is very true. Too often we're told to think a certain way and forget about free will. I think the same thing happens to kids. If they have no one to lead them they believe that they must do it all themselves. Sadly, I think this happens too often and long before they are emotionally ready to handle situations.
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