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Monday, April 2, 2012
Empowerment
My current area of research -"Empowerment" (Am able). - Here I am sharing my running thoughts with some of the readings I have done on empowerment - the readings are not related to children at all - I am deriving my own views from the readings on empowerment. Open for discussion
A myth called empowerment - Many times when we talk about “empowerment” it is taken as
* Child can do anything – child has power/ authority to do anything. For example “If I want to play in sand here, while I am expected to be getting ready to reach in time” So let the child do whatever the child wants to do? Child is in control. CHild is empowered ... * I am an adult – I do not need to be told what to do, how to do – I am empowered. * As a faculty/ parent I do not need to demand work, self discipline, commitment, efforts, class management, safety, etc etc from the child. The child is empowered
I start with this thought on “empowering”
“While children are natural learners, should we also not suggest that empowerment is not a blank cheque and brings with it a sense of responsibility to sustain good human values and citizenship” – author unknown.
“Empowerment is not giving people power, people already have plenty of power, in the wealth of their knowledge and motivation, to do their jobs magnificently. We define empowerment as letting this power out (Blanchard, K)."
Dhrupad came back from school at 4pm and wanted to play in sand area. The care givers had to clean the area, hence not allowing him to play. At 4 pm all kids are suppose to come inside and stay in library so care takers can clean the whole centre. He wanted to play – he knows that he is not suppose to play, but he wanted and he was thinking of various ways to play - go backside and till others objects etc etc. IS HE EMPOWERED?
It encourages people to gain the skills and knowledge that will allow them to overcome obstacles in life or work environment and ultimately, help them develop within themselves or in the society.
I had an interaction with him. At the end He told me “I will practice that I am seeing other’s point of view also”. He needs this re-inforcement at different places, in different forms.
Another myth - I spoke to the child once, I do not need to do it again, now the child should do it automitacilly. I should get the result without me doing more :)
Today, kIds again came running down the staircase. The staircase is whisper zone, The staircase is walking zone not running down zone. The reasons - Safety, Ensure our movements do not disturb the classes on the way to staircase
Any rule is takes as rule, we are used of looking at rules as................ - period. So any rule has related punishment - period. If do not do this, then …... So like any other rule -this rule is also taken as rule. Hence it is even a bigger task to first break that belief and then work on empowerment.
One child told me “earlier I used to do because it is code, but now I do not do that way, I do because i understand why this code is”.
The history
1. Some kids are uncomfortable with the speed in the staircase. 2. The users if staircase are from 2 to 90 years and all move up and down independently. 3. The classrooms are their personal spaces and they make any noises but the staircase is whisper zone, so even these noises are not disturbed.
So the above is EXPECTED behaviour from users of staircase. Now we have two options
* Put punishment - anyone screaming or running will not be allowed, will be out of the class, sit in one corner, not allowed to use staircase etc etc. * Another option is to work through them. Create understanding of the rule, and let the strategy to follow that rule come from the user without any external threats.
Aarohi kids were informed about the expected behaviour, together we agreed to follow. But many kids not following - the reason “we get excited while coming out of the class and run and scream”.
Kids started with “every time they come down running or screaming they would go back after reminder - come back walking with whispering”. This went on few weeks Today kids came running down, I expressed “I do not want to be reminder machine - I need next step”. Kids came directly to “If we do not come walking or whispering you set the consequences for us” I said “punishing is very easy, I do not want to punish”. They said “We will remember, imagine, will out watch etc etc”.
I said I do not want to know what will you , I want to know what is the understanding?
They scratched their heads, told me will come back to you at 1pm - they came and explained to me “See if we come running down, other kids can get hurt, small kids too are moving up and down, also our screams disturb the classes. We need to do this for ourselves - this rule is for ourselves not for others”. I said “ok so this is understanding - now I leave it you, what strategy you think of to follow this” and we ended our interaction for today.
So what is empowerment here? How do I empower kids?
So, is it about only behaviour - running down and not listening ? Or is it also about “understanding other’s point of view (it is Habit of Mind)? I run down for my fun, throw sand on others for my fun, hit others for my fun, disturb the class for my fun..............but I not do it to understand that other can get hurt, others will not like it, others will get disturbed. So when I understand other’s point of view - does that feeling of empowerment comes?
I read - “Empowerment includes the following, or similar, capabilities:- Ability to consider a range of options from which to choose (not just yes/no, either/or.)”.
1 comment:
Today, kIds again came running down the staircase. The staircase is whisper zone, The staircase is walking zone not running down zone.
The reasons - Safety, Ensure our movements do not disturb the classes on the way to staircase
Any rule is takes as rule, we are used of looking at rules as................ - period. So any rule has related punishment - period. If do not do this, then …...
So like any other rule -this rule is also taken as rule. Hence it is even a bigger task to first break that belief and then work on empowerment.
One child told me “earlier I used to do because it is code, but now I do not do that way, I do because i understand why this code is”.
The history
1. Some kids are uncomfortable with the speed in the staircase.
2. The users if staircase are from 2 to 90 years and all move up and down independently.
3. The classrooms are their personal spaces and they make any noises but the staircase is whisper zone, so even these noises are not disturbed.
So the above is EXPECTED behaviour from users of staircase. Now we have two options
* Put punishment - anyone screaming or running will not be allowed, will be out of the class, sit in one corner, not allowed to use staircase etc etc.
* Another option is to work through them. Create understanding of the rule, and let the strategy to follow that rule come from the user without any external threats.
Aarohi kids were informed about the expected behaviour, together we agreed to follow. But many kids not following - the reason “we get excited while coming out of the class and run and scream”.
Kids started with “every time they come down running or screaming they would go back after reminder - come back walking with whispering”.
This went on few weeks
Today kids came running down, I expressed “I do not want to be reminder machine - I need next step”.
Kids came directly to “If we do not come walking or whispering you set the consequences for us”
I said “punishing is very easy, I do not want to punish”.
They said “We will remember, imagine, will out watch etc etc”.
I said I do not want to know what will you , I want to know what is the understanding?
They scratched their heads, told me will come back to you at 1pm - they came and explained to me “See if we come running down, other kids can get hurt, small kids too are moving up and down, also our screams disturb the classes. We need to do this for ourselves - this rule is for ourselves not for others”. I said “ok so this is understanding - now I leave it you, what strategy you think of to follow this” and we ended our interaction for today.
So what is empowerment here? How do I empower kids?
So, is it about only behaviour - running down and not listening ?
Or is it also about “understanding other’s point of view (it is Habit of Mind)?
I run down for my fun, throw sand on others for my fun, hit others for my fun, disturb the class for my fun..............but I not do it to understand that other can get hurt, others will not like it, others will get disturbed.
So when I understand other’s point of view - does that feeling of empowerment comes?
I read - “Empowerment includes the following, or similar, capabilities:- Ability to consider a range of options from which to choose (not just yes/no, either/or.)”.
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