“Some city boys were living on a farm during vacation time.  One day a calf got out of the barn and three of them were trying to get it back in.  So, one of them pulled on its little horns and the other two pushed from behind.  But the more they pulled and pushed, the more the calf just stiffened in legs and stood there.

The farmer’s young daughter came along and watched them.  She smiled, walked over to the calf, and put her finger into the mouth.  As the calf sucked the finger, it willingly walked into the barn.

The boys scratched their heads in wonder.  They had used the wrong approach.  They had insisted on doing what they wanted, completely disregarding what the calf wanted.  The farm girl played the other angle: she gave the calf what it wanted, and it followed her willingly.”

Relating this short anecdote of Barclay to some teachers who use the wrong approach to students with or without disciplinary approach is sometimes alarming.. The teacher must check her classroom and time management.  He/she must know the culture and environment of every particular class as a preliminary way of knowing them.  The teachers’ lack of knowledge and skills in handling students, especially the ones, who at risk of being left behind, and those who exhibit misbehavior or even those who are attention -deficit must be accorded with the appropriate approach.

The teachers’ ability to meet challenging situation can spell the difference between a good or distressed classroom scenarios.  This depends on their stored knowledge such as experiences and skills in implementing this wide range of classroom approaches.

The personal and emotional attributes and background of either the students or the teachers should also be considered. The students bring to the classroom individual attitudes interests and abilities, such characteristics may be traced back to family background; physical, emotional and mental capacities. There are several factors in delving to the approaches used by teacher, but first and foremost teachers must exhibit patience and indulgence. Teachers must have a lot of patience to learn to have patience.  As one of the Chinese proverbs puts it,” If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will avoid one hundred days of sorrow.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By: Ailene F. Sulangi | Master Taecher I | Panibatuhan Elementary School Morong District | Morong, Bataan