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All I can say is “wow.”
Every morning I wake up and check Google News to see what is happening in the world or to find information to share with students. This morning I was astonished and horrified when I read an article from The New York Times. The article titled, “Like a Monitor More Than a Tutor,” talked about busy families hiring tutors for their children. At first I was glad to see parents helping their children achieve better and focusing on their education. The happy session ended about half-way through the article when this quote occurred, ““I don’t want to have friction between the two of us,” she said, speaking of homework. “It made more sense for me to step out of it.””
Step out of it? You are the child’s parent, you need to step in it! Yes being involved and caring for your child creates friction, but that is a good thing. Friction is what causes growth and maturing. When people have friction they are forced to work on their relationship. Avoiding friction does not allow for bonding or finding ways to work together.
As a teacher I attempt to create friction everyday in my classroom. I attempt to push students to do more and to achieve their best. I create assignments to challenge them and maybe even create a little dislike for me because it is hard. It is my job to create that friction in learning and not be afraid of it. It is parents jobs to create friction that makes their child a better person as a whole. That does mean Mrs. Sternberg you need to make sure your child does their homework, even if makes your son angry.
Justin Cowen's Blog 