Habits are a second nature (Latin: operari sequitur esse) (adapted from my blog)

Thursday is my day of substituting missing teachers; no lesson plan from the absent teacher (emergency), no ICT room available, where I can work on my webquests, no better alternative, except for� studying. 

Class shocstruck (earthquakes happen):

- Study, Mrs. Jorge!??! But we have nothing to study!

- How come students have nothing to study?!?! (Mrs. GoofyJorge) - Can you explain how an 8^th grader has nothing to study, as if I were M. DumbGoofy?

The most recent t perspectives of education, much focused on instrumental aspects of education, have neglected the fundamental concept of habit.

 ï¿½Persuaded� (at last!) that I had no intention of leaving the �premises� without getting them to study, they still had to clean up the mess on the tables, I mean, technically the study area, loaded with all kind of gadgets, obviously highly expendable for the purpose of a classroom, except for books notebooks, and dinosaur-alike stuff (Can we listen to music on our i-pods? Mrs. Jorge, pleeeease?, (ongoing negotiation - we are talking about a group of 8^th graders here, folks)

If education has something to do with personal development, then it is fairly clear that education is to promote habits of work and reasoning, because the habits are the extension of our essential nature, they organize our lives, making it easier.

- In a few minutes, I�m going to check on what each one of you is studying (dramatically drawing personal checklist for substitutions.

(SternSurpriseStares at one another!)

Humans are, coressencially, unfinished projects, as far as they carry, along with their essential nature, the one they were born with, another one, the operational activation of the first, which is a result of hard work and effort, kind of ergonomical extension of nature.

Mr. Pimply, the one who, one of these days; showed up loaded with cheapwhisky , spreads himself on the book of Physics - 3 o�clock Springtime is no good ally.

- Come on, do you want help?

Education core task: scaffolding/  supporting the growth and blossom of  Human Being: operari sequitur esse

Mr. Gellyhair, at the corner of Classroom, studies French with his book up:

- Studying French in perspective??

 Ortega Y Gasset (Spanish philosopher) stated that we have a biographical life, meaning that our life experiences can activate,  one way or another,  - or simply not activate - our natural abilities.

Passed more two and offered support, gave the �tactics�
- Now, please write the conditional of the verb to see (voir, in French), I want to check out.

nous verrions...

 
Habits are acquired through extensive practice, through the consolidation and stabilization of behaviour and the repetition.

- You two, what are you doing?
- We are collecting information for the Project Area
- How?
- We read, we highlight, we take notes.
- Okay. Proceed ( love this word: military great-granny, father, uncles, American nephew; lawyers public attorney and judges: five cousins).

-         Call me, if you need help.
 
 Habits are acquired in very flexible - and diverse - ways. Students with good study routines, don�t  always follow the same routine, but they all have something in common: caution, attention, self-esteem, self-regulation.

Bell rings & Chairloudragging

-         HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, please! Take it easy ... we have to leave the room tidy, don�t we?

-          Mr. Pimples, what�s that paper under your chair? Can you pick it up and put it in the recycle bin, please? Appreciated.

And everyone said good afternoon, Mrs. Macgoofyjorge!

It�s been such a pleasant way� Mission accomplished.

Dear Baiba, yesterday, when I was translating, I thought to myself: what I posted both in English and in Portuguese? That would mean HUGE amount of work and I�m still trying regaining some energy to go back to it and restart posting. I could start a new one, but the blog title is a Greek work, which refers to Socratic education and I don�t feel like giving the word PAIDEIA  away.

Dear Anita, your post would take me hours to respond - and I would delightfully do it, but online communication has its limits.

I would, nevertheless like to highlight a few issues you have raised.

1. You say you don�t have such problems. Since I was referring to study habits, and you may also have understood some discipline issues involved, I will tell you that we have many sts of Eastern origin. They are usually very good sts, mostly for two reasons: 1) their parents are educated people; 2) their style of raising children is different from ours.No matter what people could reason on this, I �m delighted with these sts: they are so gentle, well-raised and at the same time, so hardworking sts. And they learn our language so quikly, they focus, they work hard. 

2. I don�t believe much on the trend of teachers being friends with sts., as much as I don�t believe much on the parents being their children�s buddies. There are some roles involved on all sides that can�t be mixed up. I guess this was what you were referring to. A certain transitional distance pays off. It can seem more difficul at the beginning, but, at medium and long term, as you put it this approach brings results; I would add, two types of results, more positive attitudes, a proper awareness of how relationships work and academical results, which are, after all the main goal of School. An adequate argumentationon could take us hours, but I guess I will stop here.

If you could kick the person responsible for most of your troubles in the backside, you wouldn �t be able to sit down for two weeks.