I remember many years ago, when a co-worker of mine in the mental retardation area used to give homework to a child with Down Syndrome. She didn't like doing that part of her job, saying it was a waste of time. Every day she would give homework and the next day, when she checked the notebook, the homework had not been done by the child but by someone else. That's why she said it was a waste of time.
Now in confinement time, the same thing happens. With the modality of "Every family is a school", where everything is at a distance, through social networks. The teachers, of all subjects, and of all levels of education, send the activities by messages from a cell phone. The student receives, or rather, the parent receives a lot of activities that their child has to do in a limited time. If they have several school-age children, the situation is more complicated for parents. For real, who does the school activities?
From unsplash
Last month when I went to visit a neighbor, I saw her busy doing the activities for her son, who is in his first year of high school. They were the last activities assigned by the teachers as a requirement to complete the last academic term. I ask her why her son does not do the activities himself. She says that they assign him too much homework and that he doesn't have time to do it on his own, that she has to do some of them, because she has to deliver them in soon. It's the last chance to deliver them because the school year is ending. I am convinced that this scene is repeated in many homes. What do you think?
From unsplash
In truth, as my co-worker at the beginning of my story said, time is wasted in teaching. I would say that time and the purpose of any learning process are lost. If parents are doing school activities, they are interrupting a very important part of their children's learning.
In Venezuela, the 2020-2021 school year ended last month, all students at all levels were promoted, I imagine that those who were not promoted were dropouts, that is, they did not complete the academic year, they did not submit activities. Most likely they are in another country with their parents. Here, in my country, many families have migrated in search of a better quality of life for their families.
Next October, the new school year 2021-2022 should begin. I imagine that we will continue, because of the confinement, under the distance modality, "Each family is a school". We must be clear from now on, that children alone, without support, cannot face a distance learning without the guidance of an adult at home. It is very difficult for them. But the adult should only motivate, monitor, support, solve doubts, and supervise that the children comply with the school activities. But never, never do the activities for your children.
Keep in mind for a happy new school year 2021-2022, that they should start without tension, stop the fights, which only produce conflict between parents and children, generating stress in the family. And above all, remember that the activities are for your child to do. Not you.
From unsplash
Parents, recharge your emotional batteries now in the school vacations, take a deep breath and arm yourselves with a lot of patience, I wish you good luck in the next school year 2021-2022!
This is the time to thank, as always many thanks to my sponsors and my dear friends who follow me. Grateful to God and to you.
I think that children are one of the biggest losers of the pandemic.