Children and grades
- Thread starter ppko
- Start date
If you are talking about what there consequences are for their martial arts training, then IMO there are none.
If a parent or gaurdian wants to punish the child by removing them from your class then fine, that is their call. I dislike it when a martial arts instructor moves beyond his own field and attempts to be a guidance counselor or worse a marriage counselor.
Now, my instructor rewards students who get good grades, but that at least is positive reinforcement, not negative.
Lamont
If a parent or gaurdian wants to punish the child by removing them from your class then fine, that is their call. I dislike it when a martial arts instructor moves beyond his own field and attempts to be a guidance counselor or worse a marriage counselor.
Now, my instructor rewards students who get good grades, but that at least is positive reinforcement, not negative.
Lamont
kenpo tiger
Senior Master
Our instructor gives the kids a patch for 'academic excellence' if they bring in a good report card. No judgments made; just another incentive. He also encourages them to share other things they do - like playing an instrument or singing, any athletic awards they have won, and so on. My tkd instructor did the same. Nothing wrong with letting the kids show off the positives in their lives. There will be time for them to learn about working for someone who isn't so supportive. Kids should be kids, and it should be fun, in a loving atmosphere.
As a parent, I absolutely agree. It is my responsibility to make sure they are getting good grades not the instructor of their extracirricular activity. Our instructor takes the time to learn about his students and their lives outside of the school. He is one of their biggest fans when it comes to other activities that they may belong to but he is not their parent and would never dream of interferring with that aspect of their lives.kenpo tiger said:
None of my business really.
If they do well and want to tell me I'm happy to listen, but its not going to effect there martial arts training in any way.
Suppose you got a kid that doesn't fit well in a school setting and is having problems. But he fits well in your class and is excelling. Should he not be encouraged to pursue what he is good at? Instead of stripping that away from him because he is having trouble with something else.
Sometimes it might make a good punishment, sometimes it will be the last thing you should be doing. Does your 2 hours a week with this kid give you enough background on him to make that decission?
This is the sort of thing that parents should be deciding, not martial arts instructors.
Sadly many parents seem to fell that other people should raise there children for them though...
If they do well and want to tell me I'm happy to listen, but its not going to effect there martial arts training in any way.
Suppose you got a kid that doesn't fit well in a school setting and is having problems. But he fits well in your class and is excelling. Should he not be encouraged to pursue what he is good at? Instead of stripping that away from him because he is having trouble with something else.
Sometimes it might make a good punishment, sometimes it will be the last thing you should be doing. Does your 2 hours a week with this kid give you enough background on him to make that decission?
This is the sort of thing that parents should be deciding, not martial arts instructors.
Sadly many parents seem to fell that other people should raise there children for them though...
Kamaria Annina
Green Belt
In our studio, they have younger classes, like for my brother, who is 8. If they bring in their report cards and get decent grades, they are awarded a gold star, to put on their uniform, or if they get staight A's for the year, they get a red star to put on their uniform. I think it's a good way of promoting good grades, and it isn't laying any consequences on the children. But I think if you were to put consequences on the kids, then that isn't right, because it should be up to the parents.
Zepp
Master of Arts
Back when I was kid and my parents were looking around at martial arts schools with me, we met this one TKD instructor who said he would only let kids train if they got good grades in school. :disgust: This was back at a time when I actually did get good grades in school, but that attitude didn't sit too well with either my mom or myself, so we took our business elsewhere.
Sarah
Senior Master
I am not a parent, but I see the kids that train at our Dojo. It is amazing what these kids are like, so much confidence and self belief.
I would imagine that Martial Arts training could only improve their performance at school.
With the young kids (4-8) at our Dojo, they sometimes get homework like 'do something nice for Mum' or 'Clean up your room'. They are taught respect, and at the beginning and end of each training they bow to the Instructor, the BB and the Parents.
This can only be a good thing, they develop into well rounded, respectful kids, which is going to serve them well, not only in school but in the real world as well.
I would imagine that Martial Arts training could only improve their performance at school.
With the young kids (4-8) at our Dojo, they sometimes get homework like 'do something nice for Mum' or 'Clean up your room'. They are taught respect, and at the beginning and end of each training they bow to the Instructor, the BB and the Parents.
This can only be a good thing, they develop into well rounded, respectful kids, which is going to serve them well, not only in school but in the real world as well.
In reference to martial arts or academic school?ppko said:
Generally speaking, any performance/educational endeavor should be 'graded/assessed' for a lot of reasons:
1. How well is the program working?
2. How well is the student learning?
3. How well is the teacher teaching?
EVERYONE (Students and instructors alike) in an educationally focused program (whether martial arts or other) should be striving for a personal best NOT striving for the same ability as someone else. Any fun/reward/satisfaction should be because the learning process is made so by the instructor. "FUN" should never be for its own sake in a learning environment. "Learning" can be made fun though.
Should I be inspired by others with more ability/desire/organizational skill? Hell, yes. Should I be COMPARED TO THEM BY MY INSTRUCTORS? Hell NO. The arbitrary scale is suppose to be so that we all are being measured/assessed by the same standards NOT so that we are competing with each other.
If that means that I start at a 60% but improve to an 80% or something, then cool. If that means that I am going to be told "Why can't you be more like Johnny?" then NOT COOL.
There is a big difference between referring to another student's skills/abilities that might be useful to develop in myself and telling me I am not as good as another student.
MichiganTKD
Master Black Belt
In my class, school-age students are required to maintain good grades. That means, to test for any rank color belt, they must maintain a C-average. To test for black belt, they must be on the honor roll. No exceptions. Doesn't matter if their technique is easily good enough to test. Same for tournament competition.
Then I would demand to see the instructors grade school transcripts as proof of his ability to wear that rank and teach.MichiganTKD said:
Then I would find another school.
MichiganTKD
Master Black Belt
I never said they had to make straight A's. I said they had to be on the honor roll. That means 3.0-at least a B average. Demanding all A's is a bit much to ask. Requiring a 3.0 average is not. If all being a black belt required were good technique, you'd have physically conditioned numbskulls running around. A black belt should be an honorable achievement-requiring outstanding academic achievement as well as physical accomplishment.
That's why we have the phrase "Athlete scholar".
That's why we have the phrase "Athlete scholar".
I agree that it isn't the MA instructor's job to tell the kid to get good grades and punish them if they don't. Our school does the whole, give stars and announce the kids in class if they bring in a good report card. But every kids is different and I know plenty of parents who would have been thrilled to see C's on a kids report card instead of D's of F's.
Besides, speaking from experience, I got bad grades for a while cause didn't have a teacher concerned enough to take a look past the poor work and see maybe there was something wrong. Took until 6th grade for one to figure maybe I wasn't just screwing with them and test me for a learning disability and I thank god every day that, that teacher crossed my path. Then it took a few more years to learn to compensate for it. In my family it wasn't the grade you got, but whether my parents felt you did your best for the grade you got. I always did and thus never lost out on my extra ciricular stuff. It wasn't for my MA instructor to decide whether the grades I got were good enough for him or not cause when it comes to that stuff, as far as I am concerned, he didn't matter, only my parents did. I am damn good martial artist and have my 1st Dan and don't think I should have be judged (and am glad I wasn't) based upon my grades (though I graduated cum laude, so admittedly a non-issue) But even I had bad semesters like when 2 relatives died within two months of each other and I lost a lot of class time. Besides, when does it stop? My high school grades? college? I got my B.S. and am going for my M.S. soon, would my instructor still need to see those grades too?
Needless to say the thought of tieing the two together bothers me a lot and I think it is wrong, specially since this is typically not like a NCAA thing, where you are doing it in your school, it is typically something you are paying extra for at a different business establishment.
Besides, speaking from experience, I got bad grades for a while cause didn't have a teacher concerned enough to take a look past the poor work and see maybe there was something wrong. Took until 6th grade for one to figure maybe I wasn't just screwing with them and test me for a learning disability and I thank god every day that, that teacher crossed my path. Then it took a few more years to learn to compensate for it. In my family it wasn't the grade you got, but whether my parents felt you did your best for the grade you got. I always did and thus never lost out on my extra ciricular stuff. It wasn't for my MA instructor to decide whether the grades I got were good enough for him or not cause when it comes to that stuff, as far as I am concerned, he didn't matter, only my parents did. I am damn good martial artist and have my 1st Dan and don't think I should have be judged (and am glad I wasn't) based upon my grades (though I graduated cum laude, so admittedly a non-issue) But even I had bad semesters like when 2 relatives died within two months of each other and I lost a lot of class time. Besides, when does it stop? My high school grades? college? I got my B.S. and am going for my M.S. soon, would my instructor still need to see those grades too?
Needless to say the thought of tieing the two together bothers me a lot and I think it is wrong, specially since this is typically not like a NCAA thing, where you are doing it in your school, it is typically something you are paying extra for at a different business establishment.
MichiganTKD
Master Black Belt
And this is the difference between traditional and sport oriented schools. A traditional Instructor cares about his students' whole life, not just technique in class. My Instructor required good grades for all school-age students up through high school. In fact, the Chung Do Kwan emblem shows a fist grasping a scroll-a strong body(fist) with a strong mind (scroll-used to hold written information).
Students need to understand that martial arts is about more than just practicing technique. It is about improving every aspect of your life. Naturally, that includes your mind. As an instructor, I would be remiss if I didn't include academic achievement as one of the requirements for a black belt in school age students.
Students need to understand that martial arts is about more than just practicing technique. It is about improving every aspect of your life. Naturally, that includes your mind. As an instructor, I would be remiss if I didn't include academic achievement as one of the requirements for a black belt in school age students.
For me I made terrible grades. Why beause I didn't care o try them. Grades don't always messure how your progressing in school. They only messured if I bothered to do home work for me really.
THis isn't the case for every person out there but so often it seems grades are moe about if you work hard then if you know the material. I am one example of that. Another exampl is there are people out there who study hard and if you ask them something other than exactly what is in the study material they won't be able to answere. Slight exageration but still.
THis isn't the case for every person out there but so often it seems grades are moe about if you work hard then if you know the material. I am one example of that. Another exampl is there are people out there who study hard and if you ask them something other than exactly what is in the study material they won't be able to answere. Slight exageration but still.
