Using the readings and videos in this unit, please focus your discussion on (1) how you can help adolescents and their caregivers to maintain (or in some cases develop) a supportive and positive relationship and (2) how you can help peers to find deeper and supportive connections with one another. Provide a critical evaluation of concepts discussed and then pose a thought question in which your classmates will respond. Your thought question should not simply elicit a yes/no response, but rather a more detailed response from your peers. To generate a good discussion, your questions should start with the words: ‘what,’ ‘why,’ and ‘how.’
Happy New Year, Dr. Jennifer Holmes and dear colleagues!
It is an undeniable fact that a great deal depends on parents in the mental development and formation of the child as a person (Flouri, E., & Buchanan, A., 2003). In the early years of adulthood, this role is almost absolute. Initial choices, guiding the child, helping him to perform, and supporting him are all keys to the overall excellent result of raising a decent, educated person. Of course it is possible to rely on knowledge from books and special literature, to master new modern methods and ways of education, but it is necessary to notice the main aspect - a good parent is a sincere parent, who with the help of good motives forms the child as a versatile person. Parents themselves also should not shift the responsibility for the education of their children to the educational institution, playing the role of just passive listeners and observers of the educational process of children. They should observe their direct responsibilities, participate in the mutual life of the student and the school, and explain to the child how to behave constructively in society, plus instill a sense of the importance and significance of learning (Juvonen, J., Espiniza, G., & Knifsend, C. 2012). It is important for the parent to create the conditions for the student to have a desire to learn and assimilate. Given the fact that today's curricula have become much more complex, while the time required to master them has decreased, it is of course necessary to create a moment of support and assistance for students from their parents in mastering new material: it is difficult for a student to form the necessary skills and abilities on his own at the initial stage. At the same time it is important to praise and encourage the successful moments, and on the contrary, not to focus on what is still bad. It is necessary to make it clear to the child that mistakes are acceptable, but they need to be corrected.
Only together with parents can such problems as motivation of learning and identifying the reasons for backwardness, prevention of asocial behavior of children, formation in them of a valuable attitude toward health be solved effectively (De Goede, I. H. A., Branje, S. J. T., & Meeus, W. H. J., 2009).
The effectiveness of this work manifests itself in various aspects (van Polanen, M., Colonnesi, C., Fukkink, R. G., & Tavecchio, L. W. C., 2016):
- in the improvement of relations with the child, in mutual understanding;
- in the child's place in the parents' life and whether he or she feels protected and safe there;
- in the parent's awareness of the importance of his/her role as a mom or dad, and then of his/her activity, parental responsibility, which extends not only to his/her child, but also to other children;
- in parents' optimistic view of the solution of family problems and in the formation of parents' pedagogical reflection;
- parents' solidarity, cohesion, activity in the educational process.
Interaction between school and family, should contribute to the development of the modern school, on the one hand, and on the other hand - to mean the turn of society to the needs of the family.
Culture should constructively meet basic needs (Charisse Nixon, 2016):
Acceptance, Belonging, Control, Meaningful Existence.
We should consider this formula (Charisse Nixon, 2016):
EMPATHY * GRATITUDE* FORGIVENESS* HUMILITY = 4 gems we need to pass onto our Kids; in order for them to THRIVE.
We teachers are well aware that parents entrusted us with their dearest treasure - their children, and our duty is to justify that trust, and this is possible only in close cooperation, community of affairs, mutual understanding of all parties, which we should strive for.
Only equal creative interaction of educational institution with families of students is a guarantee of full-fledged development of the child.
And in this connection I have a question: How can an educator who does not have his or her own children form an environment for the development of the four precious states of consciousness?
1. De Goede, I. H. A., Branje, S. J. T., & Meeus, W. H. J. (2009). Developmental changes in adolescents’ perceptions of
relationships with their parents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38, 75–
88. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10964-008-9286-7.pdf
2. Flouri, E., & Buchanan, A. (2003). The role of father involvement and mother involvement in adolescents' psychological wellbeing.
British Journal of Social Work, 33, 399−406. Retrieved from JSTOR.
3. Juvonen, J., Espiniza, G., & Knifsend, C. (2012). The role of peer relationships in student academic and extracurricular
engagement. In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 387-402).
Springer. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Azkananda_Widiasani/publication/310773130_Handbook_of_Student_Engageme
of-Student-Engagement.pdf#page=403
4. van Polanen, M., Colonnesi, C., Fukkink, R. G., & Tavecchio, L. W. C. (2016). Is caregiver gender important for boys and girls?
Gender-specific child–caregiver interactions and attachment relationships. Early Education and Development, 28(5), 559–
571. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10409289.2016.1258928?needAccess=true
1. TEDx Talks. (2016, May 5). What adolescents (or teenagers) need to thrive. Charisse Nixon. TEDxPSUErie [Video]. YouTube.
