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by earthfriendly » Tue, 12 Apr 2011 8:30 am
"Finland has a number of smart ideas about how to teach kids while letting them be kids. For instance, one teacher ideally stays with a class from first grade through sixth grade."
I was looking for something like this for my kids. The closest I can find was the Waldorf school in the bay area. Expensive and heard that it can be a bit cultish . I also believe in the benefits of mixed age classroom.
One point I disagree with the article is lumping Japan and Korea together. It is very different. Japanese education is holistic and focus on nurturing the whole child. Students are involved in many field trips to experience nature, temples and life outside the classroom. There is heavy emphasis on team work, lifting the weaker member and sharing. Not competition. I can't post the link from Asiaone but there was an interesting article on Japanese system.
Some parents take the time to discover who their kids are and help them become that person. Others think that kids should be told what to do and order them around, have to score A's, attend prestigious college and pick the "approved" career. I don't like to be dictated to and will never do that to my own kids. I need the freedom to explore and be the person I want to be. I want to live my life on my own terms. And in the same breath, I should afford my kids the same too.
There is no one size fits all. One should really take the time to learn about their kids. For my older daughter, it has to be fun and inspiring. There was one page of her homeword that's meant to be a read-a-lot. She was livid and refused to read it as she realized it was a boring passage. On one hand she needs to complete the assignment but on the other, I don't believe in perpetuating that learning is hard, drillish and boring. Learning should be fun and mind-opening and educators can always improve on the exisisting system and make academics engaging for kids.