I just finished the book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. As a teacher, I found it very insightful because she has a point about expecting the best of our children/students to show them how much they can achieve. I recommend every teacher read this book.
Several of her quotes are worth noting:
"What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until your good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it its crucial to override thier preference."
"I am here to prepare them for the world, not be their friend."
(I superimposed these two ideas onto what it means to be a teacher when I was at a recent interview for a teaching position.)
"Tenacious practice, practice, practice is crucial for excellence; rote repetion is underrated in America."
(I think she has a point. I wonder if that strategy plus memorization drills would be effective in the unmotiveted, lower-achieving segment of students.)
In reference to an upcoming festival: "Instead of making kids study from books; private schools are constantly trying to make learning fun by having parent do all the work."
(Very funny. This is counter to what I have been taught about multiple intelligences and educational psychology.)
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