Let Teachers do their job
I’ve had an interesting experience recently.
I was replacing a fellow teacher for his kids class and a new student with her mom came in for a trial.
The first thing she said was that her little man was in a different style and she wasn’t happy because he got a quick promotion, she didn’t think he deserved it (he’s 6 years old, by the way).
So, she wanted me to evaluate him to see if we’d accept him. Unbelievable!
Now, my criteria for “accepting” a kid is whether he/she can go to the bathroom alone and whether they can follow instructions. That’s it. We do not need more than that.
Now, she has a spitfire of a 6-year old boy. Energetic, hilarious and extremely competitive. It feels like he is competitive because of the judgement he gets from his mom and he wants to prove himself. I’m not a child psychologist but that’s the dynamic I gathered from them.
This judgment and criticism is aweful. She even started criticizing him during class which is a big no for me. I intervened immediately. I’m in charge and that’s all there is to it. Her kid was not doing anything wrong, he was being a 6-year old kid.
As teachers, we need to show parents that we are in control of the class and, if need be, explain to them your “methology”. I focus on exercise and fun activities with techniques embbedded in them. I am not looking to have specialists and world champions nor am I looking for the next Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris.
What I’m looking for is for them to have so much fun that they’ll want to come back to class and that, in the long run, will be of great benefit to those kids.
Leave the kids be, they already compete for attention at home and at school. A martial arts class is the perfect getway for them to release energy and have fun in the process.
