Originally posted on September 6, 2010 via Multiply.com
************************************
I have anticipated the opening of classes with much enthusiasm and excitement reminiscent of my own school days some years back. Though I am not attending classes again, our eldest daughter is, for the first time. Perhaps this is a usual feeling among parents whose kids are just starting to enter a new stage in their development, which is the very foundation for a secured future parents dream of for their children. For a while I forget the escalating cost of education, high tuition fees, transportation expenses, prohibitive cost of school materials and supplies, and even the high cost of school uniforms. But I guess high cost of education is a price to pay in a developing country like ours.
I remember my parents did not have to enroll me in a nursery or pre-school. I attended first grade in a public school in my hometown when I reached seven years of age. At those times, the prescribed books and reading materials were free. Even school uniforms were not required, while transportation was no problem at all. Because we lived a walking distance from the school. The only expense my single parent was to provide was for my snack. Ah, those were indeed the times to look back to with envy, and lucky were our parents then.
We have to live with the high cost of educating our children. For now, the important thing is that our daughter is ready for her first school. She is enrolled at a Montessori school in Las Pinas. Although she attended summer classes in that school this is actually her formal class attendance as a regular student.
My wife also teaches in that school, and this has influenced our decision to send her to a school with a montessori system. For us, the expense for enrolling her in that school is an investment. So there must be some other convincing reasons for our choice. For this part, my wife did an excellent job in explaining and finally selling the montessori system to the family. I also had the chance to read Maria Montessori and her education philosophy and methodology from some materials which occasionally find their way home.
Maria Montessori's analysis of the child's learning process based on a new and different understanding of child psychology is, to us, revolutionary. For example, emphasis is given on the "environment" in a Montessori classroom. The child is encouraged to learn on his/her own pace by eliminating unnecessary disturbances and interference under a controlled environment, which is adequately furnished with educational materials for sensual and practical exercises. They stimulate the learning potentials in a child. Learning thus comes through the child's natural tendency to play.
Some of the practical exercises, like setting the table for meals, washing hands before and after meals, changing clothes, buttoning and unbuttoning dresses, and others practical learning, are geared at educating the child in the environment similar to his/her home environment. Because it is in a home that education should take its roots and foundation. Incidentally, juvenile delinquency has been blamed mostly on broken homes and unhappy family life as a child.
The traditional academic subject, such as math, biology, language, history, music, and others, are taught in the Montessori system from nursery, but the approach and presentation differ from those of traditional systems.
As parents, we are convinced that sending our daughter to a Montessori school would give her enough preparation to face adult life later on. We are also aware that sending our children to a good school is an important parental obligation.
What exactly are our parental obligations when our children begin their schooling? For some, parental role stops at paying tuition fees and providing the material and school needs of children. This type of parents believe that it is their teachers who have the primary responsibility of educating children. There are also parents who may get "over involved" in the child's education that they unwittingly pressure their kids to come up with exceptional performance in school. In this latter case, the effect on the child could be tragic in their adult life. Thus, parents should realize that the children's performance in school, and later on their behavior in society, may be made or unmade by parents' attitude during the early schooling years of children.
Our daughter is barely four years old at the opening of classes. I decided to bring her to school during the first week of class just to see how she would react to her schooling at an early age. Surprisingly, she is taking it with enthusiasm and eagerness, like a child just learning to walk. After classes she would proudly tell us what she did and learned in school. She even become more observant of her school environment. Once she complained that she could not understand her teacher because some children in her class were noisy. She is also showing more independence from us. While before she would ask our help for almost every things she does, like washing herself and changing her clothes before bed time, now she insists in doing these by herself and even shows some irritation when somebody tries to help her.
In another two years, our second child would follow in school. Even now, we are happy to see our second child prefer books and magazines over his toys, although he could not read them yet. Obviously, this is influenced by her sister's preferences while home.
As parents we share the excitement of our child going to school for the first time. Like other parents perhaps, we too expect the best from our kids in their schooling. By "expectation" we mean total and complete parental involvement and commitment as well in their development and growing up. That is why we take time out, no matter how busy we are in work, to be with our children often. In their moments of loneliness and fear we offer our warm embrace and shoulder to cry on, to reassure them they are never alone. We are with them, as well, in their moments of little triumph and success to acknowledge whatever little achievement they make by themselves, and share their feeling of pride. Sometimes, we just want to literally "waste" our time with them for no reason at all. Because the bonding moments are important "inputs" in their development and growth.
As our children grow up we pledge to commit ourselves to guide them by way of motivation and encouragement, and especially good examples ourselves. We hope to see them develop their own interest on something they love and enjoy doing. Because we do not believe in pre-choosing a future for them and pressure them to live up and fit into that future. Rather, we aim to raise our children as independent individuals who are able to decide for themselves what they want to be in the future. But at the same time we assure them that when things would go wrong, as at times they may, they always have us to turn to for comfort and guidance. For even in their younger years we try to educate them that committing mistakes and having failures are not in themselves shameful but a test of their endurance and determination, and a reminder for them to do better the next time.
Parenthood is a great responsibility but at the same time an exciting and challenging one. For now, we are as much thrilled and excited in our new role of providing the first significant step to our eldest child's future. We are happy that our daughter goes to school.
I remember my parents did not have to enroll me in a nursery or pre-school. I attended first grade in a public school in my hometown when I reached seven years of age. At those times, the prescribed books and reading materials were free. Even school uniforms were not required, while transportation was no problem at all. Because we lived a walking distance from the school. The only expense my single parent was to provide was for my snack. Ah, those were indeed the times to look back to with envy, and lucky were our parents then.
We have to live with the high cost of educating our children. For now, the important thing is that our daughter is ready for her first school. She is enrolled at a Montessori school in Las Pinas. Although she attended summer classes in that school this is actually her formal class attendance as a regular student.
My wife also teaches in that school, and this has influenced our decision to send her to a school with a montessori system. For us, the expense for enrolling her in that school is an investment. So there must be some other convincing reasons for our choice. For this part, my wife did an excellent job in explaining and finally selling the montessori system to the family. I also had the chance to read Maria Montessori and her education philosophy and methodology from some materials which occasionally find their way home.
Maria Montessori's analysis of the child's learning process based on a new and different understanding of child psychology is, to us, revolutionary. For example, emphasis is given on the "environment" in a Montessori classroom. The child is encouraged to learn on his/her own pace by eliminating unnecessary disturbances and interference under a controlled environment, which is adequately furnished with educational materials for sensual and practical exercises. They stimulate the learning potentials in a child. Learning thus comes through the child's natural tendency to play.
Some of the practical exercises, like setting the table for meals, washing hands before and after meals, changing clothes, buttoning and unbuttoning dresses, and others practical learning, are geared at educating the child in the environment similar to his/her home environment. Because it is in a home that education should take its roots and foundation. Incidentally, juvenile delinquency has been blamed mostly on broken homes and unhappy family life as a child.
The traditional academic subject, such as math, biology, language, history, music, and others, are taught in the Montessori system from nursery, but the approach and presentation differ from those of traditional systems.
As parents, we are convinced that sending our daughter to a Montessori school would give her enough preparation to face adult life later on. We are also aware that sending our children to a good school is an important parental obligation.
What exactly are our parental obligations when our children begin their schooling? For some, parental role stops at paying tuition fees and providing the material and school needs of children. This type of parents believe that it is their teachers who have the primary responsibility of educating children. There are also parents who may get "over involved" in the child's education that they unwittingly pressure their kids to come up with exceptional performance in school. In this latter case, the effect on the child could be tragic in their adult life. Thus, parents should realize that the children's performance in school, and later on their behavior in society, may be made or unmade by parents' attitude during the early schooling years of children.
Our daughter is barely four years old at the opening of classes. I decided to bring her to school during the first week of class just to see how she would react to her schooling at an early age. Surprisingly, she is taking it with enthusiasm and eagerness, like a child just learning to walk. After classes she would proudly tell us what she did and learned in school. She even become more observant of her school environment. Once she complained that she could not understand her teacher because some children in her class were noisy. She is also showing more independence from us. While before she would ask our help for almost every things she does, like washing herself and changing her clothes before bed time, now she insists in doing these by herself and even shows some irritation when somebody tries to help her.
In another two years, our second child would follow in school. Even now, we are happy to see our second child prefer books and magazines over his toys, although he could not read them yet. Obviously, this is influenced by her sister's preferences while home.
As parents we share the excitement of our child going to school for the first time. Like other parents perhaps, we too expect the best from our kids in their schooling. By "expectation" we mean total and complete parental involvement and commitment as well in their development and growing up. That is why we take time out, no matter how busy we are in work, to be with our children often. In their moments of loneliness and fear we offer our warm embrace and shoulder to cry on, to reassure them they are never alone. We are with them, as well, in their moments of little triumph and success to acknowledge whatever little achievement they make by themselves, and share their feeling of pride. Sometimes, we just want to literally "waste" our time with them for no reason at all. Because the bonding moments are important "inputs" in their development and growth.
As our children grow up we pledge to commit ourselves to guide them by way of motivation and encouragement, and especially good examples ourselves. We hope to see them develop their own interest on something they love and enjoy doing. Because we do not believe in pre-choosing a future for them and pressure them to live up and fit into that future. Rather, we aim to raise our children as independent individuals who are able to decide for themselves what they want to be in the future. But at the same time we assure them that when things would go wrong, as at times they may, they always have us to turn to for comfort and guidance. For even in their younger years we try to educate them that committing mistakes and having failures are not in themselves shameful but a test of their endurance and determination, and a reminder for them to do better the next time.
Parenthood is a great responsibility but at the same time an exciting and challenging one. For now, we are as much thrilled and excited in our new role of providing the first significant step to our eldest child's future. We are happy that our daughter goes to school.
No comments:
Post a Comment