Search
Related Links

 

 

Informative Articles

Essay Reveals a Writer in You...
During your study at college, many eyes will evaluate your essay, many heads will be thinking about its content. And your aim is not to disappoint them, not to hand in just another ordinary essay. There are some fundamentals common for all...

Extreme Research: 10 Snappy Rules For Success
So you want to learn to research well, and not waste any time. Let's do it. Here are a few NECESSARY preliminary points. First, adopt an aggressive I-am-taking-over-this-place mindset. 2. Develop a system for executing the research process. By...

Holistic Junction's featured School of the Week: American Association of Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC)
Holistic Junction's featured School of the Week: American Association of Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC) by C. Bailey-Lloyd Holistic Junction's featured school of the week is the distinguished American Association of Naturopathic Medical...

Holistic Junction's featured School of the Week: American Association of Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC)
Holistic Junction's featured School of the Week: American Association of Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC) by C. Bailey-Lloyd Holistic Junction's featured school of the week is the distinguished American Association of Naturopathic Medical...

The Galileo Conspiracy: 5 Questions Your Science Professors Hope You Never Ask
As a young lad, I took on my first scientific experiment simply because I could. Like most curious youngsters who own walky-talkies, I could only resist for so long the urge to bury one of them (well behind enemy lines) in the bread aisle at the...

 
Learning Interrupted!

"Part of what motivates me to write this book is a concern that we've lost touch in education with the sheer joy of what it means to learn something new." - Thomas Armstrong, Author, Awakening Genius in the Classroom

I think I was around 6 years old, when my mum decided to put me into Piano class. I am quite sure it was an afterthought because it was my younger sister who was first put into the class. Till today, I could still remember, following my mum and sister to her classes at Yamaha.

Why was I asked to learn the piano with my sister? I guess it was my demonstration of my musical ability on the piano (which was bought for my sister to practice). Without any formal music lessons, I stunned my family by playing tunes from the TV shows on the piano. And, of course, I disrupted my sister practice sessions (and maybe, self-confidence, in the process).

My mum, a "talent scout" of sorts insisted that I should have formal training to bring out the best in me. Like all parents would do. So, I began to attend piano lessons each week in a small cramped room that was only big enough for my piano teacher, the piano and me. Frankly, I cannot really remember much of the lessons. But, without a doubt, I could definitely recall the constant nagging of my mum to practice everyday pounding in my head. This went on for about 2 years. During those two years, I did not take any practical exam, as I was averse to the idea of being graded. Fear of failure, maybe. Soon after, my dear mum withdrew me from the piano lessons. I guessed she must have realized that I was not going to amount much since I had adamantly refused to go for any practical exams.

Was I being a difficult child to my mum who probably had so much hope in me to be the next Richard Clayderman or even, a Mozart in the making? How could it be when I had actually passed my theory exam with flying color (shocking everyone in the process!)? To top it all, my piano teacher was very pleased with me and raved to my mum about my prodigious musical talent during the initial few


weeks of piano lessons. But, I just wouldn't go for any exams and hated the piano lessons as the weeks passed.

Yes, I HATED the whole learning process!

Thinking back, I realized that it was the strict and pressurized formal music training that killed my interest and eventually, not wanting to touch a piano since then. Did I resent my mum for sending me to the piano lessons? Probably not, although I could still recall the agony whenever I was "coerced" to practice. I supposed my mum could have been more observant towards my change of attitudes before and after the classes. So, mum and dad (yes, you!), please observe your kid's behavior and attitudes when you send them for enrichment classes or just school, for that matter.

At the end of the day, it is your child's joy of learning that would sustain his/her interest to excel if he/she chooses to. Bear in mind that force-feeding would only do more harm than good. As always, keep a balance in whatever you do for your child. Try to put yourself in their shoes. The joy of learning that you imbue in your child would outweigh the anxiety (and fear!) that you put your child through to excel in a certain area.

Be mindful and stay balanced!

Reflect upon these Words of Wisdom:

"At times, it is difficult to keep a proper balance in our lives. But, over time, an improper balance will lead to problems." -- Catherine Pulsifer

"Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance." -- Brian Tracy

Copyright © 2005 Mike Lim

About Mile: Mike Lim is the Managing Director (and Chief Learning Officer) for Tumble Tots (Singapore and Asia-Pacific), http://www.tumbletots.com.sg. A believer of A Balanced Child philosophy, he hopes to inject balance and wisdom in Tumble Tots' variety of preschool educational programmes.


 

philosophy: the best cosmetic is great-looking skin
the best skin of your life is at your fingertips. owner and ceo of philosophy, cristina carlino, is the creator, founder and former ceo of BioMedic, ...
www.philosophy.com
 
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Non-profit organization that collects and makes available original articles about philosophy topics. University of Tennessee at Martin.
www.iep.utm.edu
 
Philosophy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The entrance page to all articles in the philosophy section of the free encyclopedia.
en.wikipedia.org
 
Philosophy Pages
Aids to the study of philosophy, including study guide, dictionary, timeline, discussion of major philosophers, and links to e-texts.
www.philosophypages.com
 
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Online encyclopedia of philosophy created and maintained by Stanford University.
plato.stanford.edu
 
Table of Contents
Arabic and Islamic Philosophy, historical and methodological topics in ... Beattie, James — see Scottish Philosophy: in the 18th Century; Beauvoir, ...
plato.stanford.edu
 
Philosophy Collection
Links to canonical philosophic texts available for viewing.
philosophy.eserver.org
 
Guide to Philosophy on the Internet (Suber)
A regularly updated collection of online philosophy resources by Peter Suber of Earlham College.
www.earlham.edu
 
Humanities > Philosophy in the Yahoo! Directory
Browse resources about philosophers and philosophy, including schools of thought, study guides, university departments, and conferences.
dir.yahoo.com
 
Bristol University - Department of Philosophy - Home
With 13 permanent members of staff, we are larger than many philosophy departments in the UK. Our interests cover a wide range of topics within the Analytic ...
www.bris.ac.uk
 
Google Corporate Information: Our Philosophy
Our Philosophy. Never settle for the best "The perfect search engine," says Google co-founder Larry Page, "would understand exactly what you mean and give ...
www.google.com
 
Philosophy of the GNU Project - GNU Project - Free Software ...
This directory describes the philosophy of the Free Software Movement, which is the motivation for our development of the free software operating system GNU ...
www.gnu.org
 
Intute: Arts and Humanities - Philosophy
Search or browse the database of Philosophy resources which have been selected, evaluated and described by subject specialists. ...
www.intute.ac.uk
 
EpistemeLinks: For Philosophy Resources on the Internet
EpistemeLinks is a comprehensive resource for philosophy on the Internet, providing thousands of links categorized by philosopher, topic, and resource type.
www.epistemelinks.com
 
Cambridge Journals Online - Display Journal
Philosophy is the journal of the Royal Institute of Philosophy, which was founded in 1925 to build bridges between specialist philosophers and a wider ...
journals.cambridge.org
 
MIT philosophy home page
Department of Linguistics and Philosophy - Cambridge, Massachusetts - BA, PhD.
web.mit.edu
 
The Philosophers' Magazine Online
Philosophy articles, bookstore, events, and discussion board.
www.philosophersnet.com
 
VoS - Voice of the Shuttle
The Philosophy of Complexity Per Se with Application to Some Examples in Evolution" ... Philosophy is Everybody's Business: Great Ideas from the Great Books ...
vos.ucsb.edu
 
Philosophy Now
Bi-monthly, non-academic publication with news, articles, and columns aimed at those with an interest in philosophy. Site features select full-text articles ...
www.philosophynow.org
 
Philosophy around the Web
Guide and a gateway to philosophy resources on the Internet, by Dr Peter J. King, University of Oxford.
users.ox.ac.uk