Hey - sorry its been a while. Been v. busy with coursework and homework...and life in general. I am off to the theatre tonight to go and see Turn of the Screw, which should be entertaining.
Recently, I've been thinking about education - more specifically I've been thinking about our teachers trying to get us to learn about how we can combat climate change and the reward scheme they have in place at schools.
With climate change, they used to show us videos about it. They gave us facts and figures. Climate change is real. It's happening. But then they say: there's really no way to stop it. It's too late. The earth is warming up (as it does anyway but no one said that to us). For so many years I have spent my life trying to NOT think about climate change - I knew what it was; I knew what problems we would be faced with as a race, but yet I could not bring myself to fight it. The reason being that they had taught me that there was no point. It was going to happen - why fight it if it doesn't make a difference?
Yet with societies constant need to give us negative information, we always overlook the positives. Yes it is important to know the negatives, but should we only focus on those and use it as a way of fear to fight problems such as climate change? Or should we use a more powerful emotion like hope to spur us on? Now if only my teachers had said to me 'yes climate change will happen, BUT, we can make it better if we do....etc'. I would realise what I, as one person could do, and how that will help people then I would feel more motivated to do so.
I now make sure we have all the lights off before we leave the house and that all mobile phone chargers are left unplugged.
The second thing about education is: the reward system. Now this has always annoyed me. If teachers put more focus and effort in making sure that the consequences of negative actions are set in place, then doesn't that send the wrong message to students? It makes it sound like they only expect us to misbehave. And sadly. that is the behaviour we tend to conform with...why behave if no one cares about rewarding us for good behaviour? When I was in primary school - I loved it because I always felt my work was justly rewarded. There was little attention to negatives because they expected us to behave well. So we did. Now, it's 'you can't do this and blah blah blah' but for rewards...its 'do this I suppose you can have one of these....' They need to rethink their strategies. Don't get me wrong - I know there are always children who are going to misbehave but they shouldn't tar us with the same brush.
One nearby school RW has a brilliant reward system, and as far as I am aware they do not have the same problems that our school does. Eurgh.
Anywho, writing is going well. Suffering from a bit of a block at the moment but shall trudge on through it. Burgess Hill is starting to turn a little more complicated now...*smiles secretively*
Take care me lovelies
Ellen x
No comments:
Post a Comment