I was bothered by this news that I came across:
Preschooler expulsions on the rise
Recent studies indicate preschools are expelling youngsters at alarming rates, leading some experts to suggest preschool resources are spread too thin. Kadija Johnston, director of a University of California-San Francisco Infant-Parent Program, says it's vital that teachers and parents work together to distinguish between typical toddler misbehaviors and exceptionally angry ones. USA TODAY
Being an advocate of children (not just of exceptional children) having finished a degree in Family Life and Child Development, I couldn't help but wonder what's really happening to the educational system nowadays.
- Are they already tired of educating and disciplining the really young students of today?
- Have they forgotten that these preschoolers are still in the stage of restlessness and hypreactivity?
- Do they need to be reminded by Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, Maria Montessorri, Howard Gardner, etc...?
- How can they be quick at giving decisions for these very young students when even psychologists and psychiatrists are hesitant to give diagnosis (like ADHD or Opposition Defiant Disorder) to these children that they might possibly carry on during their lifetime?
- Even those exceptionally angry preschoolers, do they deserve to be outcasted by these schools instead of being helped? ...ah! "No Child Left Behind", makes me wonder if this law is fair to all children.
- What kind of expectations do we have from them?
- Do we need to check ourselves and remind ourselves of our roles as their teachers?
- Do we need to ask the parents if they are doing their responsibility as parents of our pupils?
- What can we do as adults to guide these children, instead of making a harsh decision for them that they will surely regret forever.
We are usually clouded by the misconception that "children are little adults", they are NOT. They are not capable of reasoning as an adult until they reach the age of 15. They need responsible adults to guide them. Are we actually doing our part?
13 comments:
How can they give up on a child at such an early age? It's ridiculous.
you know, that's one thing that I dont like about living in North America... the teachers are one of the highest paid, yet they complain a lot about the kids, about wages, working hours... I would say that they hate disciplining, all they want is to teach... they give up easily on kids that are hyperactive or want them medicated to ease their jobs.
whereas, the teachers in the Philippines find this challenging and would really take time out to understand the child [ika nga, hanapin ang kiliti ng bata].
if we were back home, i'm sure my son would not be on medication right now for ADHD. because ritalin or ADHD or ADD is unheard of!
I just hope and pray that filipino teachers abroad, such as yourself, can one day make a difference and influence the way of teachings in North America.
did you know that kids who are failing or average students in the philippines become top students when they come to US/Canada? that's really true! and i can site names of people I personally know.
Hi JO, Proud Pinoy teacher ako dito sa school ko dito sa Washington DC. May 4 na Pinoy na estudyante rin na nag-aaral dito, lahat mga anak ng mga co Pinoy Teachers ko. Take note, they're all doing well, most of them nasa honor roll kabagu-bagong dating palang (5 moths palang yata). Ang galing di ba! Basta, taas noo Pinoy ako!
Ang mga estudyante ko, special ed man sila, nasasanay nang makarinig sakin ng mga Tagalog words lalo na pag mag kausap ako na Pinoy sa celfone ko. Ngumingiti nalang sila at sinasabi "Ms. Angala, you talk fast in your language". Minsan nakaka-pick-up na rin sila at nagpapaturo ng mga Tagalog words sa mga kaklase nilang Pinoy (4 lang sila sa school ko) at proud na proud na sasabihin sakin ang mga Tagalog words na natutunan nila.
Ang galing di ba? Angat tayo sa iba, at unti-unti na tayong nakikilala!
Hi FRED, same question I have, I thought all teachers and all the educational systems share the same advocacy, I was wrong.
i think those schools/teachers need a lot more of patience and understanding.
I suspect that those who insist on giving ritalin to kids are the ones in dire need of prozac. I'm kidding. anyway, are anti-ADHD meds really becoming controversial there?
I'm thinking that such a harsh action is in fact directed towards parents as if to say - look at what you've done with your pre-schooler. You've mess them up so bad and you want us to fix them?
In short, teachers seem to suggest that they would put up with those that can be corrected with standard teaching and disciplinary methods but won't go the extra mile in correcting young pre-schoolers that need special attention and possibly medication. One reason is in North America people sue each other left and right. Teachers are wary of parents who would sue at the slightest inkling of malpractice.
I somehow want to believe in Tom Cruise when I hear such predicament. hehe... just kidding.
seriously, had I not chose to migrate for reasons of giving my child a better and promising future (in terms of being in a developed coutry), I believe, my son will get a better education back home.
And I must say, most filipino parents think the same.
this is a disturbing and sad thing to hear---especially in a place like the U.S., where labels really matter, and being diagnosed with poor behavior could stigmatize a child. fred's comment said it best: how could they give up on the child at such an early age. Sometimes these kids might need extra doses of patience and understanding---a willingness to see where they are coming from (maybe from the shock of their parents' divorce, etc). But instead of TLC, they get more censure! you are right, sol, children are not little adults and it is not fair for us to expect them to behave as such. Children being expelled from an infant program? Maybe the teachers and the educators doing the expelling need to take a long, hard look at themselves instead.
Talagang nakakalungkot marinig ang ganitong pangyayari. We all should know that some of these pre-schoolers are so young, as young as three years old and the teacher should not expect them to act and behave like elementary students. I surmise that teachers who hold pre-schooler classesare trained especially in tackling this kind of difficulty, such as the presence of difficult pre-schoolers. If this is happening, then it really is a contradiction of the "No Child Left Behind" policy ng Bush Administration.
KARS, you got it, girl!
TK, Bulls-eye! Indeed! haha :D
BW, You have a very good point. I'm also getting tired of those parents who sue me charging me of cases that really make my jaw drop! They pass it on to the teacher when they couldn't control the child anymore! Of course the school supports me and we win the case, but yes, some parents has to learn their lesson. But does the child has to suffer for a lifetime?
EVI, Agree, we have better educational system in the Philippines... I go for our conservative teachers not the traditional ones (big difference for me). We still value the child, we respect the child...that is what's important.
SASSAFRAS Right! As a mother of a school age child, how can I trust the educational system now? As a teacher of children having behavior problems (special ed ED cases), I would never advocate for the expulsion of children at preschool age.
MAJOR TOM Hay naku, Major Tom, ewan ko nga kung mga well trained teachers sila. Hanggang ngayon mas maraming Filipino teachers and board passesrs agad kesa sa kanila. Kakarating lang namin dito, gulat sila kung bakit karamihan samin licensed, kasi di nila maipasa-pasa ang board exams nila. magaling tayo, hehe.
I teach in a school where the majority of the young children start off really good. And there are also children who extremely lack pro-social skills attributed to so many factors.
Expulsion and exclusion is not the answer to encouraging a child to develop pro-social behavior. We hope that there will be increased training on strategies to minimize suspensions.
To my surprise, many schools are still far behind in training their teachers on how to intervene in these situations. Many parents lack the empathy to recognize that children will misbehave at some time and have no tolerance for it. And sadly, many parents who find faults in school behavior policies are very quick to sue schools, administrators, districts when their children get hurt from a misbehaved student.
Also, District and state education administrators are definitely citing schools with high suspension rate. Principals are probably quick to expel, rather than jeopardize their "quotas" as a quick fix. This is the outcome when NCLB tries to demand too high of an expectation for all children to learn and behave the ALL THE SAME way.
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