Tonight at dinner, our conversation was about teachers. I told the girls they were really lucky to have such good teachers. I said, "Did you know there are some teachers that are not very good?" Their eyes got wide, and they said, "Like who?" I told them that some teachers are grumpy most of the time, or some don't have any control in the class, or some aren't patient. We talked about what makes a teacher a good teacher. Here is what they came up with:
Moo: My teacher is good because she teaches us about things that are good for us. She is firm, but kind.
G-bear: My teacher is firm, but kind. She helps us with problems we have, either in class or with friends.
Both agreed that their teachers are very patient.
I asked them what would make a bad teacher, and here is what they said:
Moo: Someone who sends you to the office if you make one little mistake in your work.
G-bear: Someone who doesn't let you eat lunch, and someone who doesn't let you breathe.
I just read this great quote today by Sir Ken Robinson: "Creativity is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status". Your post made me think of it. With all the ongoing discussion about the quality of education and what we need to make it better, I really feel like creativity is completely left out of the discussion! Anyway, I just wanted to share.
ReplyDeleteVery true, Suze. I am currently writing a paper about play-based education and long-term effects on intrinsic motivation. Creativity is a large part of that. It teaches us so many important things. Kids who learn through extrinsic motivation (to please someone else) do not have academic motivation in the long term.
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