I feel there should be a class in schools on social interaction...

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   tlm70posted 13 years ago

   If there is one thing  that could change socioty as a whole it would be  teaching our youths what impact  poor decision making can have , not your ususal D.A.R.E or anything like that, those are great programs , but maybe on doing or staging senarios where they interact or act out the different out comes in a way that before they even get out in to the real world they will be better in social situations. Understand there resposibilty to society. We worry about homework being done and all there grades. What about them? What about humanity?

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      aguasilverposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      When I was at school, we had a class called 'religious knowledge' where they taught the morality of the bible as well as other 'holy' books.
      
      I hated it at the time, but I did get an understanding of what was right and what was wrong.
      
      I think they abandoned it in the 1970's, and never replaced it with a secular version.
      
      Maybe we need to re evaluate how we teach our children?

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      rebekahELLEposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      to some degree this is very much implemented in schools. in the pre-k, primary classes we teach social skills and character education. with the social skills training, the kids are given opportunities to role play different social situations. each skill has a name, like nice talk, brave talk, asking for help, etc. it's very effective and young children love it. it's very rewarding to see them using it on their own in real situations. 
      the point being, I think the younger it's taught, the more a child will understand they have personal responsibility for how they treat others and how they respond to situations, realizing there is always a solution. [one of the biggest problems I see with parenting are parents who tell their children what to  think and say and parents who say it for them!]
      some schools will take a specific character as a theme for a month.
      other ways that it's taught are with critical thinking classes, teaching students how to think creatively for solutions to problems, issues.

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         Mishaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         So it's OK when teachers do that, right?

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            rebekahELLEposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            we don't tell them, we ask them, what would you say? what would be best for this situation.

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               Mishaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               Good teachers do, as good parents do. En masse - gimme a break... A quick look at these forums where the majority of people most of the time parrot what they were taught by their parents and teachers effectively proves the opposite...

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                  rebekahELLEposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  I see your point. I'm not sure if forum speak is included!
                  
                  I can't speak for schools other than those I am familiar with or have taught in, and yes, some teachers are better at their responsibility than others. the reality of teaching is realizing that our work can sometimes feel effortless if a child is not allowed to think on his own. I try to help them learn how to think. a good teacher should be asking more questions rather than simply presenting information. students need to know how the information relates to them.
                  
                  isn't it Thoreau who said, most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them?
                  
                  I have to get back to work. but yes, I do see what you're saying.

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         Rafiniposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         that wasn't taught when I was in school....

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      gmwilliamsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This is what is wrong with American education today.  School should stress academic achievement, it is not a place to socialize.   Socialization is not going to help our children pass rigorous tests and get into a good college.   Socialization is not going to make our children competitive against such prodigious academic nations such as India, China, and Japan who far outsucceed us in mathematics and in the scientific arenas.   What schools NEED to emphasize is more math, science, and the tougher sciences to make our children more competitive in the world arena.   This socialization process is pure nonsense in my opinion- let us concentrate upon raising the academic bar!

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      lorlie6posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      WOW, ti?l?m70, (can't see too well.) that's one helluvan idea!  This is so bizarre to me-I've an M.A. in sociology and am amazed at the idea.  Fabulous concept.  What sociology profs. taught when I was in school-I'm 55 now-  was mostly theoretical.  Our roles as students were to assess said theories and agree/disagree with each sociologist's view of society-you know, roles, status, race and other variables and then statistically analyze them-with the VERY first computers-late 70's-punch binary cards and all. This methodology was also used in my minor, Philosophy.
      I wish I'd come up with your idea back then!  Grrr...J/K!!!!!!!  Anyway, had we had role-play interaction and so forth, we'd have been taught much, much better than with our card-punching, theory reading courses.
      The 'hands-on' approach to education is not necessarily a new idea-I once student-taught a class and was dressed in a Cubs uniform to show the students the concept of underdog behavior and its consequences!-this WAS an effective approach.  They SAW/UNDERSTOOD the concepts I mentioned above.
      
      Your approach reminds me of one theorist named Erving Goffman.  My very favorite sociologist-still have all his books-in fact the 2 I mention below are at this moment on my bedside table!  The two titles are "Asylums" and "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life".   "Asylums" takes institutional behavior analysis to a new level; showing how prisoners/psych patients are stripped of their identities when entering the prison/asylum, and how they then are 'issued' new roles in order to cope with institutionalization.  "The Presentation..." asserts that we create different 'selves' or 'personas' in order to interact with one another depending on the situation.  Goffman's writings just blow me away!
      
      So, how about suggesting your idea to a sociology department in your area?  I think if they haven't thought of it yet-I'd be amazed and disappointed in them, that's for sure-they'd jump on the idea-like the old fly on sh*t saying.
      Good thinking, t?m70-keep it up.  Maybe you could be a prof one day!!!
      Take care,
      Laurel

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      Jynzlyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      We have that in the Philippines; it's called Values Education. See my hub in "Values Education for High School."

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   ilmdamailyposted 13 years ago

   Exactly.
   
   And I think the answer, at least for younger children, is a greater focus on play.
   
   We're always in such a panic to structure everything, but in this case, I think the answer lies in an absence of structure. When we let children discover things on their own, the lesson will be much better received. Some things can't be taught, only learnt. 
   
   Give children a chance to interact with each other without a safety net, and I think they'll pick up the costs & benefits of social interaction and communal decision making much quicker.

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      donotfearposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Excellent.....

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      tlm70posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      that is so right , I do believe some parents have become so affraid of everything , bacteria, other grownups, falling, etc.We have lost that fun time for our children , that allows them to develope those skills. The community and parents have taken a nightmare pill so everyone limits them selves because of fear.

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   Ohmaposted 13 years ago

   I agree. I think it is sad when I see a child who does not have even the most basic manners like please and thank you and then I see their parents have the same problem and understand where the children are learning from.

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   Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

   I think (ideally, at least) they ought to pretty much know how to interact and have some basic manners when they enter kindergarten.  I'm not sure, if a kid doesn't have basic manners and know how to interact with other people when he's really little, trying to teach him "how to be a person" can help all that much later.

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   wychicposted 13 years ago

   I can't say much for what public schools do early on, I was homeschooled until 8th grade, but for the most part that seems like it should be something taught by the family according to their values. Basic manners are a must, though I agree that when it goes into decision-making and such there has to be minimal guidance...even if you know your kid is making the wrong decision, let them do it and experience the consequences. If you simply tell them "No, THIS is the right answer" then they'll never really grasp why that's the answer.
   
   Even in basic manners, though...I was raised in a "Yes, ma'am" "No, sir" "May I please..." kind of house and you never, ever called an adult by their first name. This was reinforced by everyone around me, including all extended family and close family friends. When I went into public school there were kids even calling the teachers by their first names, or possibly only their last names without a Mr., Ms. or Mrs. in front of it...that was strange enough, but then Mom got called in for parent/teacher conferences because a) I didn't use a calculator in school and there's no way I could do it in my head (the math was three years behind what I'd been doing as a homeschooler and I'd never before been allowed a calculator...I still do it all in my head) and b) I was too polite. Seems like the values and norms of the school should be called into question when a smart, polite kid raises red flags.
   
   That said...I would have to agree with Misha that good teachers always should be teaching good social interaction, but it doesn't seem to happen very often. Unfortunately, by time I graduated from high school in 2004 (in the US) there was so much emphasis on just passing the plethora of standardized tests they threw at us that there wasn't even time left to emphasize thinking within the curriculum, they simply threw it all at us for regurgitation so that the government could be satisfied that we were getting an education.

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      Rafiniposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      A nice ideal would have these skills taught by the parents, but let's face it.  Many parents lack the skills themselves...how would they teach them?

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         tlm70posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         You have a point there some parents are lacking in there own social skills and to have a class on it in school alone would be almost futile. But on the other hand may be it can change some patterns that can affect the next gernaration. Maybe even there parents can learn from the child once they learn. All I'm saying is I have encountered so many young people who just don't know what to do or say in certain situations.If having a class can change one third of the students, then that is progress. But you are absoluly right parents have to take resposablity and we as a community can help by setting the standard and example.

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   donotfearposted 13 years ago

   It would be an excellent program to teach 'social interaction'. Awesome. Could start with pre-school & make it a required 'subject' geared toward the age group. I wonder if any schools are doing this now?

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   WildIrisposted 13 years ago

   You can take a horse to water, but you can't make 'em drink. A parent can talk to their kids about making good decisions, but that does not ensure that they will make good decisions.
   
   Perhaps before kids graduate from high school they should take a "Phases of Life" class. Perhaps they could learn some parenting skills, particularly for those who come from homes where parenting is not a priority. They could also learn some compassion for the very old.

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   Lyricsnlinesposted 13 years ago

   I am a believer in being social, that's how we all ended here.  There is a need in us to be with other people... remember no man is an island.  We all depend on each other for companionship, interaction ,comfort, whatever and it saddens me to see that our youth has no idea how to properly interact with one another.  Most of the time they are scared to death to do so in social settings. My daughter is notorious for being literally panicked by the fact that she has to go to school every day because she wants to live in a bubble. With cable and satellite and Dish and all the gaming systems and net books, being face to face social is dwindling down to nothing.  Half the kids I know don't know what a greeting is other than "supp" cause online or in text messages, the goal is to say more with less, but in face to face scenarios they are going to need more than a 3 letter word to make lifelong connections.  As far as role playing it depends on the age cause no matter how socially active a kid is, at a certain age they don't want to learn anything, cause they think they already know!  I say the younger the better...Get their attention before something or someone else does!

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   raisingmeposted 13 years ago

   I think that through role playing done in a spirit of play this is a good idea.  Sadly the only place many youngster's get a chance to learn how to effectively interact with others is at schools.  Teachers not only have to teach they also have to fill in the gaps left by poor parenting.  Anti-social behavior in class and in school takes away from those that do want to learn.  Yes there are children who actually enjoy acquiring knowledge.  Some children don't even know that a chair is for sitting in when they start school.  It certainly does take a village to raise a child!

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    aguasilverposted 13 years ago

    In a study they did, (can't cite it, it was a long time ago I read it)they found that when they removed the fences that kept children in the playground, they actually stopped playing close to the boundaries and restricted their movement to create an artificial safety zone, i.e. people are more free to express themselves when there are clear boundaries.

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       WildIrisposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       This is interesting. My kids grew up, were toddlers, in a house under construction where there were no railings to prevent them from falling. We showed them the edge, showed them what happened when a ball rolled over, and told them to stay away. They created what you describe above as an artificial safety zone.

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    TruthDebaterposted 13 years ago

    I think more philosophy should be taught in showing children to think for themselves rather than always relying on others to think for them.

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       GeneriqueMediaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I think that's a bright idea. And D.A.R.E. needs to be done away with to some degree, although I think bringing an officer in is good for the children to learn that they're just real human beings trying to keep peace.
       
       But their drug propaganda is a bit stale.

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    SpanStarposted 13 years ago

    The idea of teaching kids humanity has always been a good idea the problem however is this concept will never get off the ground. Somewhere along the way someone developed the concept that children should all be taught the same way.
    
    These parents who believe their child should be made to stand in a corner for 15 minutes after stealing the neighbors vehicle and wrecking it would simply have a coronary if they heard you are the kind of parent that yelled at you kid in an effort to keep them from committing the same act. Family services today believe your kids should be raised a certain way-no one is making any financial contribution to your family or household but they decide how you should read your own kids. If you want to see how rude and ugly children can be just go to these little Little League games and watch how the big kids show the little kids just how to act.

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