Merry Christmas, everyone! I’m always so grateful for this wonderful time of year when we get to celebrate the birth of the most remarkable Man who ever lived: our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Each of us has different ways of celebrating the birth of the Christ child, but I believe it’s safe to say that most of our traditions and practices revolve around giving and receiving gifts. These gifts come in many forms. Some come in the shape of wrapped presents, some in acts of kindness, and others in expressions of appreciation and love. Jesus, being our perfect Exemplar, has given us the ultimate gift by offering Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. His gift offers us heavenly peace and everlasting joy.
Each Christmas season I find myself asking this question: “What can I offer as a gift for Christ?” The answer to this question is different for everyone. Some have money to buy gifts while others have talents to share. Each of us has something to offer. If we were to ask Jesus what gift He would like to receive, I would expect Him to express His desire that we serve one another. And by doing so we are serving Him. King Benjamin taught that “when [we] are in the service of [our] fellow beings, [we] are only in the service of [our] God” (Mosiah 2:17).
Teachers have a unique opportunity to bless and serve Heavenly Father’s children. I don’t believe it is a stretch at all to say we are serving our Father in Heaven and our Savior by blessing the lives of children through teaching. And just like the gifts we give are unique, so our teaching is different. We each have strengths and abilities that enable us to provide unique opportunities and experiences for our students. How confidently and sincerely are we offering our strengths and abilities to our students? How are we giving of ourselves to serve God and His children?
I recently watched a movie entitled “Front of the Class.” This inspiring film is about Jeff Cohen, an elementary school teacher in Georgia who has Tourette’s syndrome. While many doubted his ability to teach effectively, he proved that his condition was not a handicap but instead a gift that he could use to bless the lives of his students. His experiences with Tourette’s syndrome helped him teach his students to respect people who are different from them and that it’s okay to be different. This special gift he offered to his students, the gift of himself, drew them closer to him. He gained their trust and became a profound influence in their lives. Continue reading “What Shall We Give?”→
Just like my young friends in this video, recess was not only my favorite part of the school day when I was in elementary school-it was essential! Do you remember the rush of excitement that bubbled inside of you when it was time to hit the playground? It was awesome! It seems, though, that over the years playtime has been steadily dwindling. With new standards and expectations imposed on public schools, many are cutting back on recess to provide more time for students to learn in the classroom.
Some teachers enjoy having more time during the day to cover important curriculum, and many report that their students are still able to focus even without recess. And fewer fights and injuries on the playground have certainly pleased some parents. However, other parents and numerous child development experts agree that recess is essential for children’s development. Studies show that recess time benefits every aspect of their development, including social, emotional, cognitive, and physical. Despite this convincing evidence, 40 percent of American public schools do not provide recess time for their students. So the question remains, do kids really need recess?
I have very strong opinions about this issue, and honestly, I do not believe it is a matter of opinion. There is overwhelming evidence to show that children must have sufficient time to play in order to develop properly. Child and Adolescent Development in Your Classroom, a textbook that discusses the foundations of child development, suggests some important ways that play is essential in the classroom. “Play promotes school success and achievement. It enhances cognitive development through exploration and problem solving. It fosters imagination and creativity. It also enhances social development, communication, and motor skills, such as handwriting. Students who play cooperatively are liked better by peers, which promotes liking of school and motivation in the classroom. Play is also a legitimate classroom activity because students learn through play (Bergin & Bergin, 2012).” Too many educators view playing as a disruption of students’ learning. It is not! There are so many ways play can be useful in classrooms if teachers will incorporate it into their instruction.
The textbook adds that recess does indeed help children focus better. “When students have longer periods of time before recess, their attention wanes, but immediately following recess, they are significantly more attentive (Bergin & Bergin, 2012).” I remember like it was yesterday that this was the case when I was in elementary school! And anyone who has ever been around children will understand the impossibility of teaching them when they get antsy. Even now that I’m in college, taking breaks from studying and class instruction is essential for my ability to focus.
Interestingly, some studies suggest that the rising number of children with ADHD may be due, in part, to the decreasing amount of playtime in schools. In fact, children with ADHD may need even more playtime than other children during the school day. What are we doing to our children? Furthermore, it seems that the decreasing amount of playtime in school is closely linked to a decrease in playtime outside of school. The textbook points out that “students are more likely to be driven to school rather than walk with friends…[and] they are more likely to replace neighborhood play with TV watching (Bergin & Bergin, 2012).” Schools can’t control the lack of play at home, but this natural decrease in children’s play at home should be an even greater source of motivation for schools to provide sufficient playtime during the school day.
One last point I want to make is that American public schools are nowhere near where they once were in comparison to other countries. Our schools have fallen far below their potential. I believe that the growing intolerance of playtime in school is a factor in this decline. Studies have found that countries with higher achieving students than America provide more time during school for play. For example, Finland’s education system is one of the highest-achieving in the world. Its students have 15 minutes of playtime for every 45 minutes of instruction. Asian countries, as well, provide twice as much recess time for their students than America does (Bergin & Bergin, 2012).
For me, the issue comes down to this: let kids be kids! If schools are concerned that their students are not performing well, then maybe it’s time to reevaluate the curriculum or improve the quality of teaching. Taking valuable time away from children to grow and develop through play is not the answer. It is clear to me that playtime is not only helpful for children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development, it is essential! And there are so many ways that play can be used as a tool in the classroom to facilitate learning. As schools and teachers throughout America recognize this and incorporate more time in the school day for play, their students will be more successful, and America will be one step closer to reaching its potential.
What are your thoughts about providing more recess time for elementary school children? Do you support or oppose this action? Why?
Resources
Bergin, C.C. & Bergin, D.A. (2012). Child and Adolescent Development in Your Classroom. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
In one of my classes, we recently had a class debate about whether or not teachers should use reward systems in the classroom. I am a very opinionated individual, and I certainly had an opinion about this topic. No rewards in the classroom? No candy for good behavior? You might as well outlaw happiness! I went into this debate completely convinced that reward systems are the key to success in the classroom.
Unfortunately, though, my teacher assigned me to argue for the side of the “anti-happiness” group of educators who oppose rewards in the classroom. I was immediately disheartened because I saw no way of winning a debate whose opposing sides appeared quite unequally yoked. I read aloud my group’s prompt which was a statement written by a teacher about how he had successfully helped his students to perform well without once using a material reward. He argued that rewards breed lazy learners and that students who are extrinsically motivated will never learn for the sake of learning.
We began discussing as a group in preparation for the debate and came up with several points that we would argue. The debate began, and the “pro-happiness” group appeared to have all the strong arguments. Some of their points included:
1. Rewards provide a foundation of motivation that children can build upon. As they grow older, their source of motivation will eventually turn from outward motivators towards those born within one’s self.
2. Children often need to be conditioned to behave favorably, and this won’t happen without extrinsic motivators. For example, when children with behavior issues demonstrate any degree of good behavior, you praise it like crazy, whether with words, candy, or another motivating incentive. Children will eventually learn that this behavior is good and will exhibit it all the time.
3. Rewards provide for children the motivation to do things that they don’t want to do and probably wouldn’t do otherwise. The joy students find in the desired reward often outweighs the displeasure of performing a given task, so they are motivated to do whatever they’re being asked to do.
4. Grades are extrinsic motivators, and students are often motivated to work hard in school when their intelligence and/or hard work can manifest themselves in a grade.
These were all very convincing arguments, and I quickly became discouraged as there didn’t appear to be any credible or logical rebuttals to these points. However, as the debate ensued, a few ideas began to formulate in my mind. I couldn’t think of an argument to contend with each of their points, but I did develop a very broad idea that challenged the foundation on which their arguments were based.
I realized that it isn’t realistic to expect that extrinsically motivating children will prepare them to be more self-motivated in the future. Who’s to say that children won’t become dependent on rewards for their sense of fulfillment and accomplishment? It seems to me that using rewards trains people to work hard for the reward itself rather than for what they learn and how they develop throughout the learning process. Grades are a perfect example. I don’t believe that grades very often reflect what a student has learned in a class, nor do I believe that very many people would sacrifice a good grade in order to learn more effectively. Learning may be the goal, but our education system is founded upon the idea that if you don’t reach specific benchmarks or get certain grades then you’re not good enough. Many people (I would even include myself at times) will do whatever it takes to get a good grade, even if that means sacrificing the learning process.
I wonder how our schools would be different if we didn’t condition youth at an early age to depend on extrinsic rewards. How would youth approach their education differently if they were taught early on to appreciate what they learn and how they develop throughout the learning process rather than to appreciate what they’re given for simply completing assigned tasks? Though I believe that extrinsic rewards have a place in educating the “whole child” in the classroom, I also believe that teaching children to be intrinsically motivated is the higher way and will lead students to more lasting satisfaction and success.
Despite my original thoughts as an “advocate of happiness” in the classroom, I believe that true happiness and success will come not when we are rewarded for our efforts but rather when we recognize all that we have learned and how we have grown throughout the process of diligent learning. What is your attitude towards learning? How can you deepen your own appreciation for the learning process? How will you establish in your classroom a love for learning among your students?
Today is BYU’s Major Fair. It will take place from 9:30am – 3:30pm in the Wilkinson Center Ballroom. This event provides a wonderful opportunity for students to explore a variety of majors, and it is designed to help them discover what interests them and what they would like to study. To celebrate this important event, I felt it appropriate to list and expound upon three reasons why I think everyone should consider pursuing a career in education.
1. Teaching is the noblest of all professions.
David O. McKay, former President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said, “In the light of self-evident facts, is it not apparent to every thinking mind that the noblest of all noble professions is that of teaching, that upon the effectiveness of that teaching hangs the destiny of nations?” Aristotle similarly stated, “All who have meditated upon the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends upon the education of youth.” I believe with all of my heart that this is true. Children are voracious learners and are extremely observant. Their minds are exceedingly impressionable, and it is during the crucial early years of life that children develop the habits and behaviors that will eventually become who they are. Teachers have the unique and privileged opportunity to mold the minds of youth. They can implant into their minds not only the academic knowledge that will help them succeed in the workforce but also the timeless truths that will enable them to apply their secular knowledge with unyielding moral strength. There is no nobler endeavor than this!
2. Children and youth need more positive role models.
Last year, I had a very unique opportunity. I was invited by an elementary school principal to do a presentation at a school assembly to celebrate Red Ribbon Week. Because of the Avengers craze that had recently swept over the country, I decided to make superheroes the theme of the presentation. I invited a good friend to assist me, and we entered the school’s gymnasium dressed up as Superman and Captain America. You’d have thought that we were Justin Bieber walking into an arena full of teenage girls! The kids went WILD! They were so excited that real superheroes were in their midst. For the presentation, we spotlighted several of our “friends” such as Ironman, Spiderman, the Hulk, and Thor, and we talked about important attributes that each of these heroes exemplified. Afterwards we had the opportunity to “high five” all the kids as they exited the gym, and I wish I had a dollar for every time a kid told me that I was his hero! Children are always looking for heroes to look up to. Who better than their school teacher? The number of positive role models in the world is diminishing. Children need people to admire who exemplify Christ-like attributes, and teachers have a perfect opportunity to be that role model in the lives of their students.
3. You can change thousands of lives for the better.
Mrs. Shirley Spencer was my 7th grade Math and English teacher. I will remember and appreciate her for the rest of my life. To this day I remember so many of the little jingles and rhymes she taught her students to help them learn and recall concepts. However, she taught me so much more than educational rhymes and jingles; she taught me how to be a better person. I remember one day in class when I said something very unkind to a friend of mine. She was deeply offended and told her mother after school. Her mother, very upset, called Mrs. Spencer that evening. The next day, I received two detentions along with a piece of my teacher’s mind. The worst part of that punishment was not the detentions but rather that I had disappointed someone whom I loved and admired. When I reported to the classroom for my first detention, I expected to face a stern, disappointed teacher. Instead, I found the same cheerful, loving woman I had come to love so much. Rather than make me write “I will not say unkind things to others” on the board a few hundred times, she spent my detention time talking to me about what I’d learned from my mistake. She recognized and capitalized on an opportunity to teach me something important that would leave a far deeper impression on me than a punishment would have. As important as it was to her to fill her students’ minds with academic knowledge, it was more important that her students developed strong moral character. Every teacher can have the same influence on their students as Mrs. Spencer had on me, an impact that children will feel for the rest of their lives.
How have teachers throughout your life impacted you?
For those of you who have already decided to pursue a career in education, what influenced your decision?
Each of us has different ways of celebrating the birth of the Christ child, but I believe it’s safe to say that most of our traditions and practices revolve around giving and receiving gifts. These gifts come in many forms. Some come in the shape of wrapped presents, some in acts of kindness, and others in expressions of appreciation and love. Jesus, being our perfect Exemplar, has given us the ultimate gift by offering Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. His gift offers us heavenly peace and everlasting joy.
I recently watched a movie entitled “Front of the Class.” This inspiring film is about Jeff Cohen, an elementary school teacher in Georgia who has Tourette’s syndrome. While many doubted his ability to teach effectively, he proved that his condition was not a handicap but instead a gift that he could use to bless the lives of his students. His experiences with Tourette’s syndrome helped him teach his students to respect people who are different from them and that it’s okay to be different. This special gift he offered to his students, the gift of himself, drew them closer to him. He gained their trust and became a profound influence in their lives. Continue reading “What Shall We Give?” 
No Greater Call 