flashcard session. With their parents,
they get away with it because their
parents let them. No consequences
unless I step in,” she says.
“Basically, teachers have an
agenda,” says Antonia Fairmaid, who
runs Speak Up Performing Arts. “We
have goals that we want to reach and,
by and large, children meet them,”
she says. Unlike parents, teachers do
not carry every child’s backstory and
generally don’t make allowances based
on that child’s past experiences. In a
class setting, too, children often follow
teacher requests without fanfare. “I
meet parents who are surprised when
I tell them their child got up alone to
recite a poem or sing solo. They’ll say,
‘How did you get her to do that?’ The
fact is, most times, the child doesn’t
even show signs of not wanting to do
it.”
A classroom is set up with
clear boundaries, consequences
and expectations for all students,
giving teachers a framework for
good behaviour. Children looking
for acceptance in class face peer
pressure if they break rules. And
there can also be a difference in
expectations between a teacher and
a parent. Teachers expect a child to
comply with rules, and to see a child
progress. Not all of these conditions
are often present at home. For A-grade
behaviour at home, it might just pay to
start playing teacher.
Basically, teachers
have an agenda.
We have goals
that we want to
reach and, by and
large, children
meet them.
April 2014
53
