Children See, Children Do

Disturbing?  Hard-hitting?  Accurate? 

The phrase 'do these kids stand a chance?' springs to mind when I watch this video - and by that I don't mean that every child who has parents who smoke, swear, or have a drink now and then are destined to a life of disadvantage, however, for me, the video does accurately highlight just how easily influenced children can be by the adults around them. 

As a primary school teacher it will be my job to be a positive role model for my pupils. I will be with the same 30 children from 9am until 3pm, 5 days a week! (is it too late to back out!?) and therefore, I will have a massive influence on the lives of the children I teach. Children who attend a Teach First school are more likely to come from impoverished backgrounds and have unstable home lives and relationships. Therefore, it is more important than ever that the primary school be a safe and secure environment where children are encouraged to dream and achieve. 

I'm not saying that all children will inherently mimic everything their parents do, but when I think of my own life, there are certain things that I say, or habits that I have, that are no doubt ingrained upon me by my parents' behaviour and their expectations of me. In the same vain, if children are witness to violent and aggressive behaviour, it is hardly surprising that this kind of behaviour will feature in their own lives... 

Breaking the mould and re-setting the trend is what Teach First is all about. Where you come from, and who your parents are, should not limit what you can do, or who you can be. Maybe this is an idealistic statement. But what's wrong with dreaming?