2 ms·

It's true what you say about educators wanting to make themselves look good. But that doesn't detract from the program that I have seen. They do things like hav

It's true what you say about educators wanting to make themselves look good. But that doesn't detract from the program that I have seen. They do things like have the kids make posters about what is important to them in different relationships, and then have the kids talk about their feelings in various situations. It normalizes having conversations about those things. Sure beats anything we had when I was in school where we never discussed feelings or relationships.

barry-cotter 7y ago
This can be a good programme with broadly positive effects for a large subset of students that go through it. It cannot normalise having emotional conversations. Schools can’t even reliably enforce a norm of non-violence or of respect for learning. If school teaches one thing and society and the outside world the outside world wins every time. Children pick up on hypocrisy and adjust very quickly. Some spot pious bullshit immediately, others learn through experience and many, of course, pay no more attention than they absolutely must, in every class.
- mikekchar 7y ago
  I'm going to have to disagree with this. My school when I grew up utterly failed at this. Your school may have too. I was shocked when I worked in a school that didn't fail on this front. I'm not sure it would work in a standard North American school because the main problem is that parents don't respect the teachers/education system. Teachers have to accommodate every single bizarre idea that parents have about how to raise children. But if you have a private school that isn't afraid to tell parents to go elsewhere if they don't like the education, I think it can be done. In fact, I've seen it done. The Japanese school where I taught lectured parents for failing their children more than they lectured the students for screwing up. It was incredible.
- geomark 7y ago
  Sure, the school is not going to overpower the influence of parents and the rest of society. But the program does help normalise discussing feelings and relationships, at least in some settings, like especially amongst the kids. Which is what you want because when those kids grow up to be adults they will have better social skills when interacting with their peers.

barry-cotter 7y ago

This can be a good programme with broadly positive effects for a large subset of students that go through it. It cannot normalise having emotional conversations. Schools can’t even reliably enforce a norm of non-violence or of respect for learning. If school teaches one thing and society and the outside world the outside world wins every time. Children pick up on hypocrisy and adjust very quickly. Some spot pious bullshit immediately, others learn through experience and many, of course, pay no more attention than they absolutely must, in every class.

mikekchar 7y ago
I'm going to have to disagree with this. My school when I grew up utterly failed at this. Your school may have too. I was shocked when I worked in a school that didn't fail on this front. I'm not sure it would work in a standard North American school because the main problem is that parents don't respect the teachers/education system. Teachers have to accommodate every single bizarre idea that parents have about how to raise children. But if you have a private school that isn't afraid to tell parents to go elsewhere if they don't like the education, I think it can be done. In fact, I've seen it done. The Japanese school where I taught lectured parents for failing their children more than they lectured the students for screwing up. It was incredible.
geomark 7y ago
Sure, the school is not going to overpower the influence of parents and the rest of society. But the program does help normalise discussing feelings and relationships, at least in some settings, like especially amongst the kids. Which is what you want because when those kids grow up to be adults they will have better social skills when interacting with their peers.