teacher

Problem 9

I have voiced my opinions on the British education many a time but it’s safe to say I don’t have the most positive view of it.

I feel there is too much pressure placed on teachers and the demands and goals they have to meet day in and day out are unrealistic, not feasible and quite frankly overwhelming. How can we expect our children to thrive at school when their teachers are exhausted and stressed beyond belief?

There are many different forms of education out there that place children at the heart of their learning as well as environments that encourage children to learn through different means such as forest school etc.

I am also aware that there are some amazing schools with great teachers out there but things need to change. The levels of mental health issues in children and young people are increasing year on year and I am confident that school pressures have a LOT to do with this (as well as other factors).

All about statistics

https://www.facebook.com/BBCQuestionTime/videos/1917523538261362/

It’s a shame that it’s all about statistics but it’s sad that this is the direction the British education system is heading.

The pressure placed on children is ever increasing and the age of the children is decreasing. Children as young as 4 are tested and examined and experience stress. It is shocking that this is the way the British education system is heading especially when mental health cases are on the rise due to pressures placed on these children in terms of deadlines, grades and targets.

Regurgitate

I’ve posted about the British and American education systems before and my anger towards them both.

I was educated through the British education system and at the time I was naive as to what the aim of it really was. I went through the motions as did every other student and gained some good grades at the end of it all and that was that. The system simply requires students to sit in a classroom for 7 hours a day, learn as much as possible and regurgitate all the information when necessary for exams.

I’m not too sure how much I actually learnt throughout my school years. At times it felt as though I only tuned in when the teachers said “this’ll be in the exam.”

The picture below sums up how i feel about the system perfectly. Hopefully, one day, change will be made and education will be more about learning and less about regurgitating for exams.

Girl power

I really interesting read about how gender stereotypes are becoming less rigid.

The article states how when asked to draw a scientist 1 in 3 21st century children draw a female scientist compared with 0 children before the year 1996. More females are also undertaking science degrees which is a real step in the right direction!

It’s really nice to hear some positive news in regards to gender stereotypes.y undergraduate dissertation was on this topic hence my interest in this area.

Link below:

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2018%2F03%2F20%2Fhealth%2Ffemale-scientists-kids-drawings-trnd%2Findex.html&h=ATMY1Dg4hF1AUvnl4cyd6Hw6Nbf_H7ZS-6e2je0dowXKTIzw7sOX3pwPzVaGSbwMrO-8fFJ_vGAm4tB29EquSyMxg_EpuV58en8hoOJ2fDpw09yRFQm5yw&s=1

One day they will be…

Something I feel passionate about is tackling gender stereotypes at an early age and encouraging boys to play with girls toys and visa versa. I really love this picture as it shows how happy little boys can be if we just let them play with “girly” dolls. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, at the end of the day it’s just a toy but there are parents out there who shape their children’s minds into believing boys must play with “boys” toys and therefore say unkind words to boys such as those in this picture. Let’s make it a norm that a toys are unisex after all, your son may be a dad one day.

On the fence

Below I have attached a link to a video regarding language delay in infants due to increased screen technology use.

This is certainly a bit of a taboo topic in recent times but it is unclear whether screen technology is all bad news.

Whilst this video/study states that increased screen time for children is at the forefront of language delays it is unclear whether this is a causal relationship. There could be other factors responsible such delays including mother’s spending increased time on mobile phones which results in speaking and engaging with the child less. It is important to consider other viewpoints and watch/read everything with an open mind.

What are your opinions on technology leading to language delays? I’m certainly on the fence!

Fuel your brain

Reading. Reading is so important in so many ways for child development. It not only aids in language development but also in cognitive development and in so many other areas too. Pick up a book and read it to your child. You really are feeding their brains!