Can a teacher be a good parent and a parent be a good teacher? In a recent blog post, a veteran English teacher has shared his thoughts and experiences as a teacher and as a parent that helped him deal with teens at home and in school.
Based on a blog post published on Education Week, David B. Cohen, a veteran high school English teacher from Palo Alto, California, said that his teaching experience has helped him in dealing with the challenges of parenthood. In spite of the uncertainties and fears, Cohen revealed being a teacher and a parent can be both exciting and rewarding.
Teaching Vs. Parenting
As a teacher, it is often part of your responsibility to give advice and support as well as to share core values and expectations to your students. A parent, on the other hand, you always ensure that children take the typical and productive route in the journey of life, without intervening on their children's decisions and problem-solving tactics.
So, can a teacher be a good parent and a parent be a good teacher? Well, according to an old adage shared by Caitlin Tucker, "Teaching will make you a better parent and being a parent will make you a better teacher."
How Parents Affect A Student's Sense Of Self-Determination And Accountability
Despite the fact that his teaching experience has undoubtedly helped put his children in charge of their education, Cohen admitted that he still expect his kids to handle certain issues that arise with their teachers. According to Cohen, he tries to avoid a parents-teacher meeting even though he enjoys them because it compromises a student's sense of accountability and self-determination.
How Parenting Made A Teacher Realize That Teens Are Always A 'Work In Progress'
In his blog post, Cohen also shared how his parenting experience helped him understand and respect the challenges and the value of time management. In addition, parenthood also helped him realized that children and teenagers are "always becoming, always a work in progress."
Cohen also realized that students arrive with specific strengths and weaknesses coupled with a backstory you're not aware of. But Cohen's main realization of being a parent and a teacher at the same time make is teaching children about the importance of failure.
"Failure is part of life, and the opportunity to learn from failure may be a gift more vital than any particular lesson plans or assessments," Cohen wrote. "We shouldn't set kids up for failure, but we shouldn't move heaven and earth to spare them from the consequences of (non-dangerous) failures."
The Fundamental Difference Between Teaching And Parenting
In spite of the fact that teaching and parenting can go hand in hand in raising a child, there is one major difference between the two. As per The Guardian, parenting is self-selecting while being a teacher should be appointed by someone with knowledge and experience.
Preventing School Stress With Proper Study Skills
In other related news, school stress can reportedly be prevented with proper study skills. According to Herald Tribune, when students are equipped with smart organization and the right study skills, much of the stress can be reduced.
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