tame before teaching

Behavior problems with students are not uncommon even at the kindergarten level. But with high school students, the scale of the problem often begins to assume alarming proportions. Unfortunately, a large number of teachers dealing with secondary classes are so preoccupied with the academic aspect of their role that they tend to overlook the importance of observing and taking into account the emotional problems and needs of their students, which ultimately leads to destructive mutual blame. play.

It has been my personal observation that the most successful teachers are those who put dressage before teaching in their priorities. It is as true as it is with parents who are willing to guide their wards to do better academically. Building rapport is easier said than done, on the one hand because of what might be called a generation gap, and on the other hand because of parents’ and teachers’ selfish assumptions about their own wisdom that makes that their approach be authoritarian, in turn, making them take children for granted. As the gap in wavelength widens, taming becomes even more difficult, especially with adolescents and young adults.

That brings to mind an interesting story by William Saroyan called ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’. It features an eccentric character of a thirteen-year-old boy named Mourad. He steals a farmer’s horse and goes on morning rides (stealthily, of course) with his nine-year-old cousin Aram. The horse is very obedient while Mourad is in the saddle, but becomes uncontrollably wild when it’s poor Aram’s turn. Mourad states that he “has skill with horses”. At the end of the story, when the two boys go to the grieving farmer’s house to return the horse, Aram is worried that the dogs might bark. Mourad assures him that they won’t, because he “has a way with dogs.”

Even though the author labels Mourad a madman, his self-confident demeanor is sure to make an impact on the reader and make him seem like a hero. Mourad offers a very brief and vague explanation of what he means by having a “road,” whether it be with horses, dogs, birds, or farmers. He says that he has ‘an understanding’ with them and is ‘simple and honest’. The nature of this understanding becomes clearer when John Byro, the horse’s owner, gladly admits that the returned horse was “better and stronger than ever.” He makes me think that Mourad would probably be a very good teacher if he thought about it. He is one of those who have mastered the art of dressage.

Teenagers are like horses. If you perceive them as rebellious, it only shows that you are as naive as Aram and have not yet evolved into the imaginative Mourad, the master tamer. There is no big secret. It is a simple and honest understanding, honest being the key word. So you start to see the beautiful white horse and enjoy your summer with it. Isn’t it simple enough now?