Sarah Pylar 8/13/2010 Comparative Reflection: Violence, Emotional Intelli ence, an!

Comm"nity

#hro" ho"t my So"th $frican e%perience I notice! many attri&"te' that !iffere! from 't"!ent' in the (nite! State' an! So"th $frica) #he 'chool', teacher', an! learner' *ere all incre!i&ly !iver'e in the *ay in *hich they f"nction a' a *hole *hen compare! to the (nite! State') $fter loo+in &ac+ at my note', &a'e! on teachin 'tyle' an! 't"!ent involvement, there *a' one a'pect of thi' e%perience that 'too! o"t to me, an! that *a' the lac+ of comm"nity an! increa'e in violence amon 't"!ent') $fter &ein in a So"th $frican cla''room for even ,"'t a 'hort amo"nt of time it *a' clear to me that the cla''room *a' not con'i!ere! a colla&orative learnin 'pace, *here 't"!ent' an! teacher' *or+ to ether, &"t *a' more &a'e! on a"thoritarian r"le) #he teacher ta" ht the cla'' *hile 't"!ent' monitore! other 't"!ent-' &ehavior, thro" h tellin on one another) $ltho" h all fir't ra!e 't"!ent' ten! to tattle on one another, thi' *a' a con'tant thro" ho"t the 'chool !ay an! the teacher tolerate! thi' &ehavior) St"!ent' *o"l! al'o ta+e matter' into their o*n han!' an! *o"l! phy'ically h"rt other 't"!ent &y +ic+in , p"nchin , po+in , an! hittin ) I *o"l! try to remin! 't"!ent' to "'e their *or!' an! tal+ thro" h their pro&lem' &"t almo't every i''"e re'"lte! in 'ome 'ort of violent act) I fir't ."e'tione! thi' ho'tility an! a'+e! my mentor teacher *hy 'he tho" ht there *ere 'o many pro&lem' amon 't"!ent') /er an'*er *a'

'imple, 0St"!ent-' learn it at home then they come to 'chool an! !on-t +no* ho* to !eal *ith their pro&lem') #hey only +no* violence &eca"'e that i' *hat they-ve &een ta" ht)1 She then contin"e! to tell me *hich 't"!ent' come from &ro+en home', 'in le parent home' an! "n'ta&le environment') 2"t of a total of 33 't"!ent', only 8 't"!ent' have &oth a mother an! a father an! many are !ealin *ith their 'in le parent ac."irin ne* 'i nificant other' on a con'i'tent &a'i') She *ent on to 'ay that almo't all of the parent' "'e a form of violence to repriman! their chil!ren an! 'ome have even hit their chil!ren in front of *hole cla''room' &efore) 4eca"'e there are 'o many a!"lt fi "re' in the'e 't"!ent'- live', they !o not have con'i'tent lovin relation'hip' *ith a!"lt' an! they vie* them a' a"thority) #hey then pair a"thority *ith violence) 5ithin the cla''room, chil!ren tran'fer the'e i!eal' onto their fello* cla''mate' an! have learne! thro" h e%perience that the only *ay to !eal *ith pro&lem' i' in a violent form) $fter tryin to "n!er'tan! the 't"!ent' &ac+ ro"n! an! rea'onin &ehin! their violent &ehavior I remin!e! my'elf that I *a' o&'ervin an! teachin in a fir't ra!e cla''room) #he'e 't"!ent' are incre!i&ly yo"n an! are 'till emotionally "n'ta&le) It ta+e' *or+ an! enco"ra ement to remin! 't"!ent' to tal+ thro" h their pro&lem' a' *ell a' !evelop empathy for one another) #eacher', ho*ever, have lo't a reat !eal of mana ement amon the yo"n er ra!e' an! it i' more !iffic"lt to mana e ol!er ra!e') In the (nite! State' 't"!ent' 'eem to &e mat"rin at a fa'ter rate an! thi' *a' the ca'e for So"th $frican St"!ent' a' *ell) St"!ent' have a many of o"tlyin

factor' that 'hape their live' *hether it &e me!ia of even family) 5ith mana ement pro&lem', an! 't"!ent' ina&ility to *or+ thro" h emotion' I ."e'tione! ho* ol!er ra!e' *ere f"nctionin ) In the $tholne ne*'paper I came acro'' an intere'tin article pertainin to a ri'e in an violence amon 'chool', e'pecially ol!er ra!e' an! hi h 'chool') Silverlea Primary, the 'chool I *a' place' in, i' locate! in thi' city 'o the article imme!iately 'too! o"t to me) #he article mentione! that there ha' &een an "p ri'e in an violence, 'o m"ch 'o that police officer' are no* a'+e! to patrol hall' an! tal+ to 't"!ent') 0$thlone police are 'o *orrie! a&o"t an 'teri'm, violence an! !r" !ealin at 'chool' that they have 'tarte! patrollin 28 'chool' in the area t*ice a !ay) 6ineteen of the'e are primary 'chool')1 It i' 'hoc+in to &elieve that thi' notion of an violence i' 'o prevalent *ithin the 'chool' that half of the 'chool' in nee! of patrollin are elementary 'chool') St"!ent' a' yo"n a' 11 year' ol! have &een reporte! &rin in *eapon' to 'chool an! fi ht' are e'calatin &oth on an! off 'chool property) $&o"t t*o !ay' after rea!in thi' article police officer' 'teppe! foot onto Silverlea-' property) #he *ee+ &efore that there *ere t*o inci!ent' that occ"rre! on 'chool ro"n!', *hich lea! teacher' to &elieve that havin police officer' in the 'chool *a' the only *ay to monitor 't"!ent &ehavior) #he fir't inci!ent *a' that t*o 'eventh ra!e &oy' ot into a fi ht an! one of the &oy' ha' &een havin reocc"rrin pro&lem' *ith violence) /e ha! 'tarte! m"ltiple fi ht' an! ha! &een 'po+en to a&o"t it 'o many time' that

hi' atten!ance at the 'chool *a' &ein ."e'tione!) #he 'econ! inci!ent *a' amon 'econ! ra!e 't"!ent' *here t*o 'econ! ra!e &oy' p"lle! !o*n a 'econ! ra!e irl' pant') #he &oy' *ere repriman!e! &y the principle, teacher' an! parent' &"t the 'chool tho" ht it *a' important for police officer' to tal+ to the &oy' a' *ell &eca"'e thi' &ehavior *a' !i't"r&in an! completely "naccepta&le) #he *ay in *hich the 'chool' are han!lin the'e inci!ent' are appropriate &"t the ."e'tion lie' in: *hy !o police officer' even nee! to &e &ro" ht in at thi' level7 5hen comparin the level of violence to the (nite! State' it 'eem' a' if So"th $frica-' 'chool' have to re'ort to other mana ement techni."e') $ltho" h 'chool' in the (S have their pro&lem' *ith 'chool violence it i' not thi' !ra'tic) It i' al'o important to compare cla'' 'tr"ct"re a' *ell) #he mi!!le cla'' of the (S !oe' not match the mi!!le cla'' of So"th $frica) $ltho" h crime i' prevalent more 'o in "r&an area' of the (nite! State' there i' not a' m"ch violence *ithin the middle cla'') #he mi!!le an! lo*er cla'' in So"th $frica, ho*ever, i' &len!in into a violent 'ociety an! thi' i' &e innin in the 'chool') 5e !o hear of ca'e' in the (nite! State' *here violence i' happenin in 'chool' &"t it i' not an all !ay affair *ithin &oth mi!!le an! lo*er cla'' 'ettin ') #he one main i''"e that 'too! o"t to me in the 'chool' that co"l! potentially &etter the c"rrent 'it"ation i' the lac+ of !ealin an! learnin a&o"t emotion') St"!ent' are comin from 'tr"ct"re' that are not con'i'tent or even !evelopmentally 'ta&le an! they only +no* a *orl! of violence) #he

pro&lem i' that teacher' an! 'chool' contin"e thi' violence either &y allo*in it to happen or recreatin it &y hittin 't"!ent' *ith r"ler' on the &ac+ of their han!) 5hile rea!in thro" h the 8"ly 2010 e!ition of The Teacher I came acro'' an article that *a' very intere'tin ) #he article *a' &a'e! on emotional intelli ence an! I a"tomatically tho" ht that thi' *a' pertainin to 't"!ent involvement *ith their o*n emotional intelli ence an! a&ility to cope *ith emotion' &"t I *a' ."ite *ron ) #he article *a' in fact a&o"t ho* teacher' can &etter their emotional intelli ence) $ltho" h a vali! point I thin+ it *o"l! &e more helpf"l to !i'c"'' ho* *e, a' teacher', can a''i't o"r 't"!ent' in !evelopin '+ill' to help them cope *ith their emotion' a' *ell a' empathy for other') 09aniel :oleman !efine! the emotional ."otient ;E<= a': >#he capacity for reco ni?in o"r o*n feelin ' an! tho'e of other', for motivatin o"r'elve' an! for mana in emotion' *ell in o"r'elve' an! in o"r relation'hip')-1 #hi' i' reat a!vice to ive to teacher' &"t then they nee! to apply that to their 't"!ent') St"!ent' nee! to learn ho* to !eal *ith their emotion' an! learn ho* to *or+ to ether) 8"'t a' 't"!ent' are ta" ht their $4C' an! a!!ition an! '"&traction 't"!ent' in the'e ho'tile environment' nee! to *or+ on life '+ill' more 'o than other') 5hen comparin teachin techni."e' &et*een the State' an! So"th $frica, in re ar!' to &etterin 't"!ent-' emotional intelli ence an! empathy, many (S cla''room' have a &etter ra'p on cla''room comm"nity than I *itne''e! in So"th $frican cla''room') In my ra!e one cla'' in So"th $frica,

't"!ent' *o"l! 'tan! at the front of the cla''room pointin o"t na" hty chil!ren an! their teacher ma+e' thi' re."e't) #hi' i' 'eparatin 't"!ent' an! ivin a"thority to one chil! over the other') #he teacher al'o i nore' all tattlin an! in t"rn the 't"!ent' contin"e) $' oppo'e! to !i'c"''in the 'it"ation *ith 't"!ent' an! "i!in them to tal+ thro" h i''"e', i''"e' are left "nre'olve! an! then 't"!ent' la'h o"t *ith violent &ehavior) If 't"!ent' can-t re'olve pro&lem' on their o*n they hit, +ic+ an! even thro* o&,ect' at each other) It i' incre!i&ly harmf"l to the atmo'phere of the cla''room an! the interaction' &et*een 't"!ent') In the (nite! State', ho*ever, I have 'een teacher' ma+e h" e effort' to create a cla''room of learner' &a'e! on comm"nity an! ro*th) St"!ent' in (S cla''room' often have ,o&' 'o they have to *or+ to ether ma+in their cla''room ti!y an! r"n properly &y pa''in o"t paper' an! &ein line lea!er') 5hen ,o&' are involve! 't"!ent' are learnin to *or+ to ether an! cooperate *ith one another) If more interaction' are create! li+e thi' then 't"!ent' are a"tomatically *or+in on their emotional intelli ence) #he article in The Teacher 'tate', 1Emotional intelli ence !evelop' thro" ho"t o"r lifetime,1 an! the more interaction' 't"!ent' receive the ea'ier it i' for them to *or+ to ether a' oppo'e! to *or+in a ain't one another) $nother concept I have 'een promote! *ithin the 'tate' i' the i!ea of cla''room comm"nity) So many teacher' 'eem to p"'h the i!ea that every 't"!ent i' val"e! *ithin the cla''room an! *e all learn !ifferently &"t nee! to learn to ether) In or!er for thi' atmo'phere to &e create! it nee!' to &e

!emon'trate! 'tartin *ith the teacher) #eacher' nee! to remin! 't"!ent' to !o nice thin ' for one another an! in t"rn 't"!ent' *ill "n!er'tan! ho* the cla''room r"n') 5ith everythin that i' happenin in So"th $frica to!ay there i' no ri ht an'*er or c"re for the e!"cation 'y'tem) It i' tr"e that violence i' &ecomin more prominent an! if 't"!ent' !o not feel 'afe at home an! then come to 'chool an! al'o feel "n'afe the f"t"re for the'e chil!ren are incre!i&ly !iffic"lt) St"!ent' are face! *ith a!"lt enco"nter' in their home an! thro" h the me!ia an! violence 'eem' to &e e'cala!in more than ever) It i' incre!i&ly tro"&lin to +no* that many primary 'chool' nee! police officer' patrollin their hall' an! even thi' !oe' not en'"re 't"!ent 'afety) #eacher' nee! to try their har!e't to promote comm"nity, re'pect an! empathy in the cla''room) St"!ent' nee! to learn ho* to relate to an! !eal *ith their emotion' an! teacher' can &e the one' to help *ith thi') #here i' a pa't an! hi'tory of h"rt an! thi' cycle may never &e &ro+en &"t it i' important to reco ni?e the pa't an! *here So"th $frica-' f"t"re lie' an! try to men! the chil!ren) In Knowledge in the Blood 8onathan 8an'en reco ni?e' hi' 't"!ent' an! 'tate', 0$t thi' moment I reali?e, for the fir't time, that the'e chil!ren are my chil!ren, an! I *ill 'pen! all of my ener y to help them ma+e the tran'ition acro'' thi' !iffic"lt &ri! e1 ;8an'en @3=) It i' important for all teacher' to reco ni?e all 't"!ent'A not ,"'t the oo! not ,"'t the &a!, &"t all of them) Bay&e if *e teach 't"!ent' re'pect an! love they *ill follo* '"ite &"t the important thin i' to per'evere)

Works Cited

Hayward, Richard. "Excel in emotional intelligence." The Teacher July 20 0! ". #rint. Jansen, Jonathan $. Knowledge in the Blood. %tan&ord! %tan&ord 'ni(ersity #ress, 200). )*. #rint.

Johns, +ynnette. "#olice start ,artolling -thlone %chools a&ter rise in gangster (iolence." Athlone News -ug. 20 0! - . #rint.

.nter(iew with /ary Cam,her on /onday July 2"th 20 0