culture - Sabahat Aamir

Partners not Strangers

Read Time:3 Minute, 31 Second

Partners not Strangers

Hello Folks!

How does it feel when the school treats you as a stranger? I know the feeling Today, I will share with you a few tips on how you as parents and teachers can play a positive role in your child’s overall development as partners, not strangers. So let’s start.

Communication:

Firstly, for any relationship to work to its best, communication is the tool that forms the backbone. In the case of a child’s overall progress, parents are the first teachers and are genuinely interested in the performance of their children.

So the teachers and the school needs to take them on board while addressing the issues a child might be facing.

Class Management:

Secondly, parents as partners need to know about the detailed class management plan/schedule, the reward system, the consequences of a certain issue/behavior, etc. The earlier this is communicated with the parents, the better it is to work towards a combined goal.

And this plan should be shared by the parents as well. One can always draft a form in the shape of a questionnaire and attach it with the class management form for the parents to fill out.

Two-Way Process:

Thirdly, a parent-teacher or school relationship is two-way. Even complex relationships work through communication.

So if an individual can work this way, why not a school/teacher or parent? The underlying goal is the same.

The school needs to understand the beliefs a parent might have regarding their child and the parents need to understand the overall system of the school.

Language Barriers:

Fourthly, most parents have language barriers and these barriers need to be eased on part of the school. Every parent desires to give their children the best education.

So their mother tongue might differ from the school’s medium of instruction. This is a very common issue that we face in most schools in Pakistan.

Here too parents feel like a total strangers when it comes to knowing about the performance of their children. Although the solutions are very simple. They need to be incorporated into the systems.

Classroom newsletters, monthly calendars, class websites, home visits, parent councils, etc., are some of the commonly used practices that can create a huge difference.

Fifthly, parents need to feel that their say is important. To have an alliance with them, listen to what they have embarking over their minds. You as a school/teacher will have your turn to share the same. You want the relationship to work and not go to the doldrums.

If a negative message is communicated in the first place, it will remain there till the time the child is at the school and no one wants a bad name or start for their institution and nor do the parents want to regret their decisions later.

Sixth, to address language barriers, the school must refer to every child’s first language. An interpreter can always be appointed for major languages spoken.

This will not only induce love for one’s culture and language spoken but will automatically develop the children’s linguistic talents and overall academic performance.

Collaboration:

Seventh, the teacher needs to establish the modes of communication to have a more receptive response from the parents. If as a teacher, you talk negatively about the child to the parents; then you know the results. So you need to establish a form of communication with the parents.

And lastly, as a school/teacher /partner, you need to be very clear when addressing a parent. They are not strangers. You need to treat them as equals not subordinates or even clients. They lay their trust in you but at the same time, they have apprehensions and fears regarding the system.

Working in close collaboration with them can end various problems/issues we face these days. They are partners, not strangers, and want the same thing for their children as you want for your pupil/student.

Think about it. Until next time stay safe and healthy.

Happy Reading!

About Post Author

sabahat

sabpir@gmail.com

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CHALLENGES FACED BY GROWING UP BOYS AND HOW TO TACKLE THEM HEAD-ON

Read Time:5 Minute, 30 Second

CHALLENGES FACED BY GROWING UP BOYS AND HOW TO TACKLE

THEM HEAD-ON

Hello Folks!

I know how it feels if you are left out from the lot. So, for all growing up boys and teenagers who feel like this, this blog is just for you, your problems/challenges at hand, and how to tackle them head-on. So let’s start.

The question that is often asked is, “why do boys struggle more than girls?” There are many reasons for this. One of the most prominent reasons is that boys are given fewer opportunities to succeed.

The lack of success can lead to feelings of low self-esteem among boys which can have long-term effects on their future.

CHALLENGES FACED BY GROWING UP BOYS/CHILDREN:

Secondly, the challenges faced by growing up boys largely depend on their family background, socio-economic status, and location.

Factors such as personal biases and stereotypes affect their experiences, which then shape their expectations of the world.

Family and peer pressures too can put a halt on the overall grooming of boys thus complicating things for them.

GENDER BIASES:

Thirdly, the challenges faced by boys are manyfold but can be categorized into two major categories – male disadvantage and gender inequality.

The former focuses on inequalities related to boys’ roles, while the latter focuses on inequalities related to girls’ roles.

We cannot place both genders in isolation when it comes to specific roles. Both face their challenges and need to be addressed duly.

DEALING WITH ADHD:

Fourthly, there are many other issues that boys face as they grow up such as being more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD(Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder),https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/symptoms

Being more likely to be fatherless, take more dangerous risks, and are less likely to graduate high school compared to their female counterparts.

It appears that there is a critical imbalance between males and females.

COMPARISONS:

Fifthly, presently, there is no denying the reality that men are constantly being assaulted in different ways by society.

They are bombarded with harmful stereotypes from a young age and these stereotypes have a powerful impact on their lives. Comparison simply kills the fire inside any individual.

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS:

Sixthly, boys are disadvantaged in the educational system too. For example, they are more likely to be suspended or expelled from school than girls, and they are less likely to be taught by qualified teachers.

This unequal treatment manifests itself in boys’ learning outcomes. For many boys, violence is seen as an appropriate response to any wrongdoing; they learn that solving problems with violence is a good thing.

These social norms can result in men becoming perpetrators of sexual violence against women and girls.

DEALING WITH BULLYING:

Seventhly, Bullying is an unfortunate reality for many children and adolescents. For boys, the bullying may manifest in different ways than girls, but it can have just as much of an impact on their mental health.

Bullying is a serious issue and can result in many mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and even suicide. Males and boys are bullied more than females which can lead to an increased rate of mental health issues.

Masculine qualities like physical strength are favored over feminine qualities like intelligence. Similarly, boys tend to be physically weaker than girls

As a result, boys may feel more pressure to live up to the expectation created by the media.

DEALING WITH BAD COMPANY AND CULTURE:

One of the issues/challenges that boys have to face is a bad company that can consist of boys from various cultures. In the case of Pakistan, boys from Pathan families can have a really bad influence on boys from other cultures.

There are innumerate cases of boys who have been exploited at the hands of Pathan boys. Such influence/impact and company take away the innocence of growing-up boys. All ideals of love and inclusiveness go to waste when one faces such ordeals at a very early age.

Unfortunately, such horrors are sealed behind walls and trunks only taken out when one needs to serve their interests and manifestos

DEALING WITH EMOTIONS:

Eighthly, Males are often expected to be independent which makes it difficult for them to ask for help when they need it.

The challenges faced by boys growing up are different from girls, who are given more leeway to show emotions.

Men are expected to be tough, which can lead to less self-esteem and an increased risk of suicide.

TACKLING DEPRESSION:

Ninthly is depression which has its roots embedded not only in society but also in homes where things keep on adding up and making the lives of boys difficult altogether.

Boys are often ashamed to talk about depression because of the stigma attached to the condition.

Depression can be hard to spot in boys because they use different coping techniques than girls, but it’s there.

FREEDOM TO DO THINGS AT ONE’S WILL:

And lastly, is the freedom which is denied in most households as parents ego is too high to let lose the child and grow naturally. We all learn through mistakes.

We as parents and carers can secure our children but we need to give them space to breathe and grow.

If as enlightened individuals, we will not think about the growing up teens or boys or the soon become adult, then who would. It’s high time to save your generations from going to the doldrums.

Just look at them. Save them, love them, give them time and a conducive environment to grow.https://www.sabahataamir.com/tips-on-grooming-boys-sons-part-i/

In the end, I would like to say that we need to teach our children from an early age not to oppress each other based on gender and instead treat everyone equally and we need to create balance and awareness of emotions in our society so that all can grow harmoniously and confidently with high esteem.

We need to change the way that boys are brought up for them to avoid these challenges, but it is also about changing the attitudes of men. We must teach them that it is okay for them to cry for example.

It is ok to let out feelings of anger, and rage and it is ok to fight with parents when the situation prevails. It is also ok to tell what you feel in the spur of the moment without keeping up appearances.

Think about it. Until next time, stay safe and healthy.

Happy Reading!