High School was merely there to aid my social life. I found it to be a real inconvenience at the times. My
parents sent me to an expensive school, it was small so provided lots of cherished
moments with teachers, I had lots of friends and the school really provided me
with great educational opportunities.
But I just was not in a space to learn, I
look back now and wonder if there was anything my parents could of done to
encourage more from me, I don’t think there was, things could have
been different today If I had applied myself then, as my rather low pass mark
when I left school has been a disappointment to me ever since. I have still had
good jobs, gained entry into university as an adult, but it has meant I always
felt a little unworthy.
Today’s question is “how do I motivate my
son to do the best he can at school”, he is a smart kids, this does not always
reflect in his school report because he is also always looking for the easier
way to get things done (I will take the blame and surrender that he gets this
from me)
I have thought of financial benefits to
keep him motivated, he wants a new computer so I have told him for every A or
good mark where I can see he has applied himself, he will get a financial
compensation, I remember in high school some kids were getting 10 bucks an
exams for a pass, now that was a lot of money 20 years ago… and my mum thought
cuddles were going to cut the mustard…Or should I be letting him
learn through his own experiences that if you don’t apply yourself then it may
not be so fun when you don’t get into the university you want.
I am a true believer in education but I
also believe that some education facilities squash creativity. For a really good listen go to this
TED web site and listen to Sir Ken Robinson who very poignantly explains how
school kill creativity… it is well worth the laugh, a riveting 20 minutes that
kept me smiling all the way through.
Although I went to a good school, I was
not always shown how to find where my potential lay, I believe the school could
see it, they obviously had confidence in me, sending me on an exchange programs
and putting me in leadership roles, but the actual part of creating an
environment where I wanted to achieve seemed to be lacking for me.
I had a couple of great teachers Mrs. Robinson, my English teacher still
leaves me with a warm feeling and Mrs. Miles, no warm feelings there, she was
very strict but my god she taught me well and the things I have remembered for
life…
We have recently lost our school principal
at the school my number 2 boy goes to… He is a dedicated leader and a truly
gifted educator, how often in our education system do we end up with people
like that, I wonder some times if there should be some sort of program for
budding teachers, like doctors, where you do testing to see if you have the
personal traits required to be a great teacher…
Teachers play such a big role in our kids
lives and in many instances they spend far more awake hours with our children
than we do…. And the sad part about that is, I only really only speak to my son’s
teachers if there is a problem.
My eldest son loves school, so getting him
up of a morning is never an issue, in fact I don’t get up, he is out the door
by 7.15am and I don’t even hear a peep.
It is his place of social learning; just like it was for me, so
inspiring him to take the education as equally serious as the social life is
really hard?
I certainly don’t have any answers for this
post and if you have any please leave feed back. He is the first of my boys, so by number four I should or perhaps
I hope I will have it right.
Time seems to be flashing by and at 13 it is only another 5 years till I
will be packing him up to move to the mainland for university… So this means to
me I only have a small amount of time left to impact him in his choices before
I let him go out into the big wide world to fend for himself…
My thoughts for today were to lead by
example; I cant force him to be dedicated to his studies, but I can show him I
am dedicated to his study and help him each night or as often as I can, I cant
expect him to be an "A" student but I can show acknowledgment and pride
when ever there is effort and improvement and lastly I will encourage his
dreams and weather they waver daily or are stead fast, you have to have dreams
to think life is worth living, I am dreamer, people might see it as futile, but
it is the essence of wanting greater things in life that keep me wanting more…
A high school certificate will not make him
a better man; it won’t show him about generosity or how to be a worthwhile
member of society. But it may give
him an extra ability to follow his dreams, so IF investing now will make his
future easier I am all for the venture and who knows, it may make me feel I am
doing something right in these puzzling times I call parenting and help me know I am
doing my best “whilst I am loving my
family”.
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