Wings Educational Resources Blog

Missing the point…

Posted admin on April 18th, 2008 | Filed under Setting an Example

Too often, I think, teachers and parents do not take their words and examples seriously enough.  What you say is taken to heart, even if that is not readily apparent.   And, what is taught in either place, homes or schools, is taken to the other.

A short example of this happened years ago with one of my students…

One day as my class was filing outside for Physical Education, a little blond, blue-eyed girl was in front of me.   As the other students were walking past the principal’s office to go outside, they were involved in their own quiet conversations and blissfully unaware of anything else.

This little girl was a different story.  As she walked past the office and looked in the open door, only to see the unprofessional principal sitting with his feet up on the secretary’s desk, she whispered to me, “He is going to be in SO MUCH TROUBLE!”  I couldn’t help but grin.  In a conspiratorial tone, I whispered back.  “Yes, I know.  He shouldn’t be sitting with his feet up on the desk.”   “No”, she disagreed.  “He is going to be in so much trouble because he is eating potato chips.”  “Why?”, I innocently asked.  “Because he is going to get SO-O-O HYPER!”  

I couldn’t help but laugh aloud.  Talk about missing the point.  I was focusing on the behavior and not the example that was being set.  This had obviously been illustrated to her at home, whether in words or actions. 

Whatever the time or place, children are aware of the example(s) that you are setting.