As I try to psyche myself up for another term , I need to be reminded of this check list of principles I found in Earl W.Stevick’s inspiring book ‘Humanism In Language Teaching’ which is available in PDF form here. Many of the principles could equally be adapted as general guidelines for parents.
- Kindness is more effective than coercion. Firmness is more effective than permissiveness.
- When students feel good about the course and about themselves, they will learn better than when they do not.
- Any method that does not require serious and occasionally onerous effort from learners will be ineffective.
- Within us (or within our grasp) we have undreamed-of possibilities.
- Concentrated, intuitive introspection together with courage and patience will make possible unlimited growth in constructive and socially desirable directions.
- Skilled and sensitive understanding of another person can release that other person’s whole self so it can deal adequately with whatever needs to be dealt with, whether cognitive or otherwise.
- Rational, critical inquiry can deal adequately with everything that really needs to be dealt with.
- A model of teaching (or thinking) which makes full use of one’s own personal strengths is superior to models which demand strengths of other kinds. (Corollary: a model which demands strength in an area where one is weak is misguided.)
Have you ever noticed how self books usually have brash unimaginative covers. If they have any image at all it is usually a naff shot of the author looking immensely pleased with himself/ herself.
U2’s concert movie is heralded the first ever live-action digital 3-D film. Is this novelty enough to make it worth seeing?
