I decided to start a blog about teaching and learning strategies for parents after a number of friends and family members commented that I was a wealth of information and ideas for different areas, particularly relating to the discipline, growth and understanding of problems and concerns about their children. They are especially fond of the variety of approaches I offer to resolve those concerns. It has even been commented that I should get paid to go around and help parents! I’m beginning to sound like the Australian Super Nanny?!!!
While, going around to people’s homes and helping them find alternative approaches to solve the problems they are having with their children sounds fun, it wouldn’t quite fit into my schedule at this point in time. However, it did lead me to wonder whether my skills and knowledge really could be of use to parents, teachers and others who work with children.
I have an extensive background in everything teaching and child-related. I started teaching children (and adults) from the age of 15, where I ran a judo classes for the younger students and self-defence classes for high-school girls and women of all ages. As far as sports are concerned I have also taught basketball, softball, hockey, aerobics, gym classes…and many others. My favourite sport to teach was swimming, which I did full time for 4 years. I was a swim instructor and supervisor to all age groups and sizes. My youngest student was 3 months old and my oldest was 57 years young. I taught babies lessons, learn to swim (children and adults), stroke and stroke correction, and squads. I have also been involved in tuition for 15 years as well as English language lessons, drama, craft, day care, preschool and I was a classroom teacher in the NSW public school system for 5 years. I was always the teacher who got “the naughty children” because I could “handle them”. Little did anyone know, but they were some of my favourite students! On top of this I am the first called to babysit my friends and family’s little ones…With the common comment being: “We know we can trust you” or “We know you we can rely on you to be strong with them”.
I have always taken those comments as compliments. As a school/swim teacher I was considered strict and tough, and it is true, but I have always had exceptionally good relationships with all of my students and they often comment that I am “hard but fair” or “the best teacher”. More comments I take as compliments. My philosophy was always to set the rules, consequences and rewards from the beginning. Then the hardest part, but most important, is to follow through on them! So long as you can do those 3 things (and a few lesser strategies) the children learn the boundaries and good, open, respectful relationships follow.
I am forever committed to making the lives of children filled with enriched experiences and ensuring they both learn and receive respect and ethics. I love to learn new things about teaching and learning and have always enjoyed the challenge of a difficult student. I am dedicated and passionate about our younger generation, seeing them as our future, a future that is becoming increasingly lost and forgotten as we adults become more time-poor and less involved with kids. As our patience and time deteriorates we are becoming less connected with our children. This results in us not knowing what skills or strategies to use in different situations. That is where I come in. Not only can I see things from an external view point, but the chances are I have experienced it before.
I intend for this blog to give ideas, tips and strategies for dealing with children of all ages, backgrounds and experiences. There will be focuses on specific areas of concern that arise through the media, posts and forums, but I want the majority of the direction to be guided by you, the readers. I anticipate the blog to expand over time into other areas of parenting and teaching/learning as we progress, possibly into product reviews, specific schooling rules, regulations and requirements, and/or the feelings and frustrations of you, the parents and teachers.
So, please, I invite you to join me in this blog creation journey as we endeavour to become more connected with our children and the youth of today and form stronger, more open and loving relationships with our children. I encourage you to read, ask questions and make comments on the posts and in the forums and if there is a topic you would like my opinion or first hard knowledge and research on please ask, I would be delighted to respond.
Lisa Donohue
Strategies for Parents