Category: Tips

This week, I share information about a superb training that I followed last week on “Violence in school and the lack of educational authority” that was given by Mr. Jorge M. Dias Ferreira, School psychologist at the Department of Education, Assessment and Student Monitoring at the General Directorate of Compulsory Education and who also represents an NGO at the UN. For the sake of information, this article constitutes simple course notes and therefore does not claim to be exhaustive with respect to all the content that has been covered during the training.

In our current society of consumption, the dominant culture often advocates “pseudo values” relating to wanting to have everything, immediately, with the least possible effort, the maximum pleasure and maximum profitability. Children can be victims of such a system that can lead to the “objectification” of the human person. The person thus becomes a simple means or it must be the finality. For a child to grow well, some conditions must be met, at the risk of causing emotional development disorders that in turn cause cognitive difficulties in the child. In order for him to grow well, the authority of the adult is then necessary for his development.

But what exactly does the word authority mean?

It comes from the Latin auctoritas which is relative to auctare and augere and which means to favor, to increase (to make bigger and more considerable). Refer to the attached article:

Deficiency of educational authority

It should not be confused with authoritarianism, synonymous with tyranny, which signifies the tendency of a person to abuse his authority, to exercise it with rigor and to seek to impose it.

To avoid emotional development problems and cognitive difficulties, as emphasized by Mr. Jorge Dias Ferreira, it is about showing authority to the child: “From an educational point of view, parental authority is also it is necessary for the children that the affection […] of a father or a mother who exercises his authority does not do it to assert his personality, but to help the child to overcome a difficulty, to protect him from a danger, to allow him to grow and become independent. On the other hand, poorly understood, rigid, tyrannical family authority is as harmful as lack of educational authority. Without authority, education is uncertain, the personality remains weak and inconstant, the moral conscience becomes deficient, the individual lives in insecurity and anxiety “(Educator, pp 24-26, October 2002).

The film “The City of God” which takes place in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro and this perfectly illustrates the real consequences of a lack of educational authority, malaise, aggression and the extreme violence that it generates. for children living in this very poor neighborhood. An excellent film to see absolutely

Stanislas Komkewiczs, psychiatrist and psychotherapist, studied inmates for a long time and studied their history. He noted that the detainees had common factors that could explain some of the violent acts committed.

Examples:

1. Emotional deficiency in early childhood.
2. Violence suffered by the parents, especially by the father.
3. Addiction to alcohol, drugs …

Criminology has asked the question about violence committed: What is the point that is common to people who have committed violent acts? How is it that some people do violent acts at once, when they have no judicial past? The fact is that these people have evolved in a family and school environment in which there were no limits, standards and without ever having had educational sanctions and without having ever had a feeling of guilt. The problem with this lack of standards is that the child does not develop the feeling of guilt and sends him the message that he can continue and this unfortunately favors the crime. It is therefore essential to invest the child and to love him unconditionally.

Inactivity and overweight of children: 

When we talk about inactivity and overweight, it’s already about young children. “Of course, it’s worrying, because we know how much overweight is related to the instance of chronic disease. When it starts so early in life, it increases the risk, unfortunately, that overweight or overweight are also present later, “says Fannie Dagenais, nutritionist.

Children do not get enough physical activity. As an indication, children aged 3 to 4 should perform 3 hours of physical activity per day, regardless of intensity. For children 5 years old, at least 1 hour of moderate or high physical activity per day.

Some children already spend a considerable number of hours in front of the screens. Television plunges our brain and our body into a passivity close to the hypnotic state. The information we watch comes directly into our subconscious.

Screens have a negative influence on children, who are not yet mature enough to filter the images they see and are unable to cope with. This is to limit the number of hours spent in front of screens, they are not babysitters;).

The problem is that the screens become addictive for children and the time spent in front of the screens goes well with the physical activity because they reduce the time available to the children to play, to spend etc.

They are also more likely to develop attention disorders, behavioral problems and sleep disorders. The risk of overweight is also higher and also increases the risk of school failure by two-thirds.

Some courses of action that can be done at home or at school: 

www.gonoodle.com , an American site that many teachers now use in the United States to make their classes more dynamic!

www.hoptoys.fr , a French site that offers equipment, furniture adapted to children with special educational needs as well as those who need to strengthen their vestibular system and much more!

www.ecolebouge.ch , a Swiss site that aims to promote the movement, both at school and outside.

The pauses in movement allow to introduce a rhythm which favors the learning.

As an indication, the concentration time in children is:

– 15 minutes for 5-7 years old.

– 20 minutes for 7-10 year olds.

– 25 minutes for 10-12 years old.

– 30 minutes for 12-16 year olds.

With regard to these times of attention, it is a question of introducing exercises which make it possible to refocus (eg nose-to-nose movement). Teach them to juggle with 2 balls for them to practice.

The physical activity induces, starting from a threshold of load of env. 15 W (walking), an increase in brain irrigation of about 30%.

School in motion helps students’ self-confidence. They feel that they are important players and take some responsibility in the life of the school. The goal is to promote daily physical activity.

But how to integrate the movement so that it does not overload the teacher or the parents?

– Establish at least 20 minutes of physical activity per day.

– For at least one quarter

– In addition to compulsory physical education lessons.

Exercises under the guidance of the teacher or sports coaches.

It is also wise to provide jump ropes in the yard because it allows them to strengthen their bones or offer them footbags at recess.

School can help people lead healthy lives, but it can not do anything about unhealthy living conditions! Sport is not a substitute religion!

Introduce during the playtime of the movement through activities where the child is in motion because learning is better when the child learns by moving, he better assimilates knowledge. The nervous system thus benefits from the activity when we move.

There is a difference between the chronological age and the neurological age of the child. It will be necessary to help the child to mature with the help of the movement.

The posture and the muscular tone are also important: Some children are vaulted and they do not have a sufficient muscular construction.

If they do not have enough balance, it will be harder for them to sit easily. Some of the attention to sitting will be taken and the child will pay less attention to the course. Similarly, if they do not have enough tone, they will have more difficulty sitting quietly in a chair. This will require a big effort that their brains will have to manage, and they will therefore be less attentive, says Françoise Stabler, educational consultant in Geneva.

To maintain attention, it is also important to keep children moving and moving them.

It is also beneficial to reinforce the following points in children so that they can be more attentive:

• their muscle tone
• their posture
• holding their heads
• their support for the vision
• their reinforcement of the vestibular system