Sharing/conflict resolution at nursery school?

notanewuser

Person_one wrote: »

You know, this bugged me all through my school days, and it still does when I think back. I think this culture needs to change, because in every other workplace, especially one where you are responsible for other people's wellbeing and safety, you need to have a very clear rationale for and evidence behind absolutely everything.

The answer to 'Why?' should never be 'because I say so, because that's just how its done, because be quiet and get on with it.'

I agree with this. Perhaps learning about the "Welsh Not/Knot" on a day trip at primary school affected me a bit much, but I don't stand back if things aren't right.

I also don't see the point in doing things that evidently have no point!!

onlyroz

daisiegg wrote: »

If you expect everything your daughter experiences at school (and then college/uni/the workplace/any institution she is going to be a part of) to have a 'point' that you recognise (beyond 'those are the rules, it's the way it's always been done, it does no harm and presumably some people even like it') then you are going to be sorely disappointed. As a teacher I quite frequently find myself having to trot out 'because it's the rules' as answer to a whined 'but what's the point?' about various aspects of the school day/procedures from my students. Sometimes even I can't see much point beyond that answer in certain things. But then, there are aspects of mine and probably everyone's working life that I can't see much 'point' in either, but that's just life. No harm in getting used to it when you are young!

I would be very proud of any child who questioned a genuinely pointless exercise. It's like asking convicts to smash rocks, or forcing people to fill out a 20-page form just to borrow a book from a library.

This attitude of "just do it because it's always been done" is exactly my bug-bear with organised religion - you follow the rules and conform, do not deviate from "the path", don't worry your pretty little head with questioning any of it, and you'll be OK. And let's not bother with any of that pesky science stuff - you know, asking for "evidence" and all that malarkey - because those heathen scientists are just out to cause trouble. No, just keep your head down, say your prayers, and don't speak unless you're spoken to.

Yep, it sounds like a great thing to be teaching our kids.

daisiegg

Don't you have aspects in your job that seem pointless to you? Box ticking exercises, etc? I certainly do and so does everyone that I know! It is all very well to have a questioning mind but sometimes you just have to do it...it is the rules and it is your job. Not everything we ever have to do is going to have a 'point' for every unique individual. That is all I am getting at.

I get this all the time when teaching English literature. Many students are utterly uninterested and demand to know the 'point' of studying Shakespeare. With particular students unfortunately it is no use trying to explain that someone, somewhere thinks it is valuable and worthwhile, and the reasons. Because actually, for those particular students, dragging them through Shakespeare probably doesn't have much point for them. But is is the law, it is in the National Curriculum and in the GCSE syllabus - so they have to do it despite feeling that it is utterly 'pointless'. I can harp on as much as I like about it being beautiful and worthy and still having relevance today etc etc and I can work my bum off trying to make it engaging and find ways in for them but at the end of the day they don't give a monkey's about any of that - to them, it is pointless. So in the end, the only 'reason' that can be used to shut down the conversation and actually get on with what we have to do is 'because those are the rules, that's the way it is'.

That is the sort of thing I mean.

daisiegg

Person_one wrote: »

You know, this bugged me all through my school days, and it still does when I think back. I think this culture needs to change, because in every other workplace, especially one where you are responsible for other people's wellbeing and safety, you need to have a very clear rationale for and evidence behind absolutely everything.

The answer to 'Why?' should never be 'because I say so, because that's just how its done, because be quiet and get on with it.'

I could have sworn you worked in the NHS?? Everyone I know who works for the NHS (and that is quite a lot of family members) say it is one of the worst organisations for 'pointless' box ticking, routines and processes!

onlyroz

daisiegg wrote: »

Don't you have aspects in your job that seem pointless to you? Box ticking exercises, etc? I certainly do and so does everyone that I know! It is all very well to have a questioning mind but sometimes you just have to do it...it is the rules and it is your job. Not everything we ever have to do is going to have a 'point' for every unique individual. That is all I am getting at.

There are box ticking exercises but they all have a point. If there was no point then we'd stop doing it. Apart from the managers being annoyed that we were wasting our time, we'd never get through our audits if we were found to be doing things just for the sake of it.

FBaby

I hated literature at school and myself couldn't then see the point of it. Since then I've appreciated that education is not only about learning skills but also about opening one's mind. It's about appreciating different schools of thought, about taking pleasure in beauty (such as a nice painting or a very well written piece of work) and about understanding motivation and a lot more. Those are the things I told me DD when I got that same 'what's the point'. Life is nor just about doing things that yield a tangible outcome but also doing things that stimulate thinking and senses.

daisiegg

FBaby wrote: »

I hated literature at school and myself couldn't then see the point of it. Since then I've appreciated that education is not only about learning skills but also about opening one's mind. It's about appreciating different schools of thought, about taking pleasure in beauty (such as a nice painting or a very well written piece of work) and about understanding motivation and a lot more. Those are the things I told me DD when I got that same 'what's the point'. Life is nor just about doing things that yield a tangible outcome but also doing things that stimulate thinking and senses.

Well, some people (not me, tbh, but maybe those who have decided it has to happen!) could argue the same about the grace and the end of day prayers? I was just trying to get at the fact that not everyone is always going to see the 'point' in everything but unfortunately if you want to be part of an institution, you agree to comply with their rules and it only really matters that the person making the decisions sees a point. Whether that is right or wrong (and I am not saying it's right!), it is naive and idealistic for people to suggest that it is not the way things are.

daisiegg

onlyroz wrote: »

There are box ticking exercises but they all have a point. If there was no point then we'd stop doing it. Apart from the managers being annoyed that we were wasting our time, we'd never get through our audits if we were found to be doing things just for the sake of it.

You are lucky, then. I have to do LOTS of pointless stuff in my job. Thanks, Mr Gove

notanewuser

daisiegg wrote: »

Don't you have aspects in your job that seem pointless to you? Box ticking exercises, etc? I certainly do and so does everyone that I know! It is all very well to have a questioning mind but sometimes you just have to do it...it is the rules and it is your job. Not everything we ever have to do is going to have a 'point' for every unique individual. That is all I am getting at.

Actually, no. I've always had jobs where I can change things - including processes for an entire international hotel chain. I'm now an HR/Management consultant, so am hired specifically to change things and question why things are as they are within client organisations!

DH is in high demand by his clients to fix and improve things that don't work well (IT consultant). He spends all day questioning why things happen the way they do and finding better ways of doing things!

notanewuser

FBaby wrote: »

I hated literature at school and myself couldn't then see the point of it. Since then I've appreciated that education is not only about learning skills but also about opening one's mind. It's about appreciating different schools of thought, about taking pleasure in beauty (such as a nice painting or a very well written piece of work) and about understanding motivation and a lot more. Those are the things I told me DD when I got that same 'what's the point'. Life is nor just about doing things that yield a tangible outcome but also doing things that stimulate thinking and senses.

Does participation in only 1 religion achieve that?