Education and Love

When I start a class I need to change the climate, the clime... And for me, this is achieved by the next points:

-the air of the classroom

-the temperature of the classroom

-the sounds of the classroom

-the mood of the children (they usually are edgy or nervous)

-the happiness of the children

-the sense of hope of the children

-the curiosity of the children

-the feelings of the children

-the love they feel.

To work these points I usually use the next tools:

-Open the window (at least during some minutes)

-Open the door.

-The way of talking them.

-Turn on the laptop and the projector and setting music; quiet, deep, an special music. Music that is tied with the deepest human roots. There are some music that change the deepness of human beings.

-I ask them to be silence. They usually start to be silent when they listen to the music, and then I talk and speak about the silence as one of the lost treasures of humanity. Sometimes in a poetic way, with a poetic deepness. They usually understand better what they feel than what they listen.

-Then I speak poetry, but not as poetry, but as simple and essential words that they feel as poetry without knowing that those words are really poetry.  "Everyone of yours worth much more than all the universe. The value of everyone of you is infinite." "The rain is like the shower for our minds" In the moment I decide.

-Depending on the matter, the subject, the moment, I talk about love: A sentence of M.L. King "I think of love as something strong." "Your problem is that you have to love stronger each other" "You were born to love and to be loved".

-Depending on the day, from time to time, I talk about the nosense of punishing. "If I punished you, and you changed your behaviour because of this punishment. What Would I teach you? would I have taught you to use threatens and cold violence to impose your will? Would I have told you to be good boys and girls only by avoiding punishments? What would I taught you? So... I can, I will never punish you. Please! Don't compell me to change my philosophy! You are people... You must be convinced by thoughts and not by fear.

- I talk about rules: "If you are adults, I will treat you as adults... so you will be able to go to the toilet whenever you need..."

-From time to time we sing...

-I use the love instead of punishments. I use the love instead of fear. I have confidence on them instead of fearing them. I leave my mobile, my wallet on the table... I believe them when they explain anything. So... they don't want to develope a bad behaviour because they would feel Ashamed.


What are the results like?

-I usually achieve a silent class when I explain.
-They love me.
-I love them.
-They have confidence on me, and so... they explain me almost all the things they are worried about.
-They accept my corrections even some times my anger; however, angering must be vey exceptional, and very quiet.
-They feel great, they feel loved, they feel valued, they believe they can overcome any difficulty.
-Some of them overcome their inferiority complex or low self-esteem
-Some times, many times, some of them improve in an unspected way.
-Most of parents are very happy with my way of dealing.

Advices to myself 

-Not to be more than a whole course with the same group, because the affection is quite strong.
-Taking in account the age of the children; the way of dealing, talking, teaching... is different, depending on the age.
-To be aware of the differences between one group and another group, from one course to the next. Not all the groups understand in the same way the same things. Each group has it s own style and language.