A Treasure In Stories

There is a legend about a powerful warrior who spent most of his life conquering and pillaging kingdoms and monasteries. In one such monastery he had little trouble breaking through the gates and massacring many of the monks. However, suddenly an old monk jumped out in front of his horse. The warrior angrily shouted. “Old man, do you know who I am? Do you know that I can run you through with my sword and not give it a second thought?” Calmly the monk replied, “Brave knight, do you know who I am? I can let you can run me through with your sword and not give it a second thought.” It is said that at that moment, the knight was so overwhelmed he dropped his sword and vowed to follow the master.

Stories such as this are wonderful ways of teaching about true power and insight. Kids love old legends and folk tales and they have many opinions about the meaning of this and other similar stories. When you are teaching values, go back to the traditional stories from cultures around the world. They are a storehouse of wisdom and will be the springboard to many an engaging and rewarding conversation.

What Do Your Kids See?

As teachers we like to use words. In fact, words are an integral part of the job. However, as teachers we also tend to use too many words. Simple advice turns into lectures. Corrections become sermons and requests are often a chance for us to mount a soap box. Remember that kids are people and most people have no desire to be on the receiving end of byzantine babble and self important pontification. There are times when the fireside chat is in order, but a general rule of thumb is that simple is better. Kids will remember how you carry yourself long after they have forgotten your words.