The pandemic spread of the 2020 novel coronavirus, with its attendant “stay at home” mandates, has caused many adults to be more directly involved with their children than perhaps they were used to. In particular, the closure of schools has both kept the kids home and shifted a major portion of educating them to their parents.
Teachers are still generating lessons and activities for their students, but the burden of seeing that the lessons are read, the assignments are done, the projects are completed, and that things get turned in on time, now falls almost completely upon the parents. Good parents have always helped their children be responsible about school work but now, with the teachers working remotely, students need even more support from their parents to help them stay on track.
Teachers find a new respect
Some parents have taken to social media to express a new-found gratitude and (dare I say it?) respect for teachers. Some use social media to lament (often with humor) the difficulty of motivating their child to focus on schoolwork.
As a (now-retired) teacher I say, “Welcome to OUR world!” In addition to preparing lessons, projects, and activities, and securing the necessary books, equipment, and supplies, (along with many other clerical, supervisory, and counseling tasks), teachers strive constantly to keep students motivated about their own learning. The education term for this type of motivation is “engagement.” Webster defines engagement as “emotional involvement or commitment.” It is the opposite of “detachment.”
I have to admit it can be fun for educators to hear about the eye-opening that occurs when some parents come face to face with the learning habits of their own, perhaps no longer golden, child. This awakening is good. Many parents are learning now, too.
It is important to remember that, like us, children are human. And every child has different strengths, interests, talents, and weaknesses. Sometimes their stubbornness or reluctance is really boredom or frustration. Try to diagnose the real problem before selecting a treatment.
What kind of students are we?
And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be.
2 Nephi 32:7
Our Father in Heaven also has reluctant students. He, too, is teaching from a distance and must depend on intermediaries. He has provided us with a living prophet and twelve apostles to provide direction and guidance. At the local level we have a bishop and a ward council who care about us, check on us, and help us.
It is only fair to ask how WE do in the student role. Are we good students? Do we listen to the teachers? Do we read the text books? Do we ask good questions, listen carefully to the answers, and then follow through on the instructions?
Are we reluctant? Stubborn? Do we procrastinate?
What kind of encouragement do we respond positively to? A gentle reminder? Some personal attention? Humor? Re-teaching the concepts in another way? A promise of reward? Anger? Threats?
It is well known that the major life lesson we learn from our own children is patience. Fortunately that is one quality our Heavenly Father has in abundance. He is always willing to listen to us and ever ready to forgive those who repent. But he does have a core curriculum that we must master if we wish to become like him. And our earthly school will not stay open to us forever…
The key is love
There are always going to be students who need a bit more “push” to get started on something. In the New Testament, Saul was so stubborn and relentless in his persecution of Christians that he had to be struck blind for three days before he repented, was baptized, and became the Apostle Paul.
While trying to help your children learn, you may find they behave like little angels one day and little devils the next. I call my grandsons “little monkeys.” It is both a term of endearment and a fairly accurate description of their group behavior.
The most important piece of advice I can give you in your role as a teacher is this: LOVE THEM! Don’t give up on them. Encourage, help, remind, reassure, cajole, support, re-explain. Use threats mildly and rarely. If you or they need outside help or support, find it. Your children are a blessing to you. They deserve your very best efforts.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1 John 4:11
Source: Emily Schultheis, “Sitzfleisch: The German Concept to Get More Work Done,” BBC News, September 3, 2018.
Nicely said, teach.