cannyben

In the olden times, inns/rest houses were available, but were often unsafe and uncomfortable. Travelers had to rely on relations or acquaintances to get a night’s lodging. Our homes are a very private part of our lives; home is where we go when we want to escape some of life’s pressures. We feel safe and secure there. To open our homes to others opens part of ourselves to them. By offering hospitality, we invite others to enjoy the blessings we enjoy. It takes a little work, but it is well worth the effort. In our busy lives, we may think hospitality is too time consuming. But we need to take the time to welcome others to enjoy our food and fellowship. If we do it with joy, we may be surprised by the joy we receive.

Two mistakes are commonly made in setting goals. One is putting them very high that they can never be realized. When a not-too-bright young man was asked what he aspired to be, he replied, “A genius”. That’s an example of an unattainable goal. The other mistake is setting our sights too low. Psychologists tell us that the people who come from poor families often do this. They work hard and attain a better standard of living than their parents, but they may actually be capable of going much higher.

We ask our students, “Why do you study”? The immediate replies from the students include: for grades, admissions, ranks, bright future, happy parents. Surprisingly, no one thinks of knowledge. We explain to our students that it is very important to be knowledge-motivated and not grade-motivated. Not that grades are of no importance, but grades follow knowledge. Grades are merely scales by which we measure knowledge. Grades do not constitute knowledge. This distinction is vitally important. There are two negative aspects to grade-motivated learning. One is ego, and the other hostility. We always acclaim the toppers. Our actions boost the child’s ego. A child whose ego is thus inflated refuses to accept failure. Thus, the joy of learning is slaughtered systematically. The second aspect is hostility. Grade-motivated studies make a child hostile. All teachers must have noticed a certain unwillingness among the students to discuss their grades when answer scripts are returned after evaluati...

When one is hungry it is useless to talk about education. When the parents are economically poor, they find it difficult to send their children for education. In this situation, what is required to attract the students, is to give food to the children and if possible, to the parents, so that the basic need is fulfilled. Once the school provides regular meals, the children and the parents find it easier to attend the system. In a system like this, a dedicated lot of educationists are required. It is found, sometimes, these educational institutions follow certain policies and theories with certain “ism”, and try to inculcate those to the children. As it is found and observed, education is delivered best when it is neutral and only factual. The right to form opinion is to be given to the learners. We, as educationists, should lead the students to the steps with a hope the students would climb the proper ladder during their life.

We think about our critics that they are prejudiced and their remarks arouse a natural antagonism in us. But, they may contain more than truth. If nothing else, their criticism should remind us that perhaps our actions and motives do not appear to be as pure and worthy to others as we think they are. We all have a natural tendency to retaliate when someone questions our motives and actions. If you are wise, listen to your critics. Adverse remarks could be a blessing in disguise – if you take a positive attitude and derive from them a new understanding of your own shortcomings. The response we make to our critics is really a judgment on our own character.

Children have everything to learn. This should be their main preoccupation in order to prepare themselves for a useful and productive life. Education means three things, to teach how to observe and know rightly the facts on which they have to form a judgement; secondly , to train the children to think fruitfully and soundly; thirdly, to fit the children to use their knowledge and their thought effectively for their own and the common good. Capacity of observation and knowledge, capacity of intelligence and judgement, capacity of action and high character are required for the citizenship of a rational order of society; a general deficiency in any of these is sure source of failure. As the children grow up, they must discover in themselves the thing of things which interest them most and which they are capable of doing well. There are latent faculties to be developed. There are also faculties to be discovered. Children must be taught to like to overcome difficulties, and also that this g...

A rather recent innovation in education is career education. Selected educators have felt that students graduating from the schools have not received adequate information on career opportunities. Further, it is felt that the school students, upon graduation, have not been prepared for selecting a career when entering the labour market. Individuals too frequently have drifted into a career rather than selecting a vocation which is satisfying to the individual. As students progress through the school years, they are to achieve relevant objectives pertaining to understanding, skills, and attitudes in career education. A variety of learning experiences, such as using films, filmstrips, slides, reading materials, resources personnel, and excursions, among others, should aid learners in understanding diverse careers. Work experience for high school students definitely is important in programmes of career education. Questions that can be asked about programmes in career education could be the...