I'm NOT a
big fan of parables. (Although I am partial the Good Samaritan; I have some
personal issues with the prodigal son.) This being the end of the school year,
this educational parable (although I'm not 100% sure that you might call it
that) came to me. When things come to me, I've got to share so...
My son,
who is wrapping up his freshman year in high school, takes 8
classes/subjects. Each subject is important. As parents we
encourage him to do his best in every subject. He is smart, but not an extraordinary
student. While we'd love it if he came home with straight As, that's not
realistic. (I suspect it's not realistic for most families.) We encourage
him (nag him?) to do his best work. (Which doesn't always happen, but I
suppose that's another story.) With all of that said, he has struggled
with some subjects. Because we want a well-rounded child and feel that
all subjects are important, when we see him struggling with a specific subject,
we work to get him help. It's not that one subject is more important than
other, but that he needs help with one subject and as parents it is our
responsibility to make sure that he help that he needs. We don't ignore
his other subjects, but we do focus on the area where he is lagging.
As
responsible parents, it is our job to make sure he understands all of his
subject and to help him excel. When a subject or class becomes a
challenge, it is time to get help. Sometimes as parents we can
help. Sometimes that help comes in the form of spending some time after
class with the teacher. Sometimes we need to find another source, like a
tutor or a friend to help out, it depends. There is not necessarily
one "right" way; one size doesn't fit all. We have to explore
different options and ways. What works for one student might not work for
another; just like one student may respond to one teacher and/or his/her
approach while another may not. What's important is that the student
learns and understands.
For
several years my son had some problems with French. So we focused on
that, but did not ignore his other subjects. We had a fabulous tutor (who
just so happens to be a relative) who helped him. She focused not just on
the language, but on how he learned and used methodologies that helped him
understand. This year he is thriving in French. But we still
keep an eye on it, because backsliding is always a possibility. He's had
some struggles with other subjects and again we've gotten help. Because
ALL subjects are important, but when one becomes an obvious issue/problem,
you've got to focus on it. If you don't focus on it and try to come up
with a solution, everything can fall apart. (Including your kid!)
The point
is that all subjects are important, but if there is a problem with one you
can't ignore it. You need to focus on it and improve. You need to
do it because poor performance in one subject can ruin the whole experience.
So is
this a parable? Kind of? Maybe? Maybe not? It's up to you to
decide.
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