Preparing to read

As you read, these extracts from THE COLONY by A.R. Siddons and THE NOVEL by James Michener discuss ways to change the undesired behavioral characteristics or personalities with feedback, [e.g. when an individual acts/reacts appropriately, she/he should be praised by others]

From the time she could toddle, whatever she wanted she went after. She was born without boundaries, without a capacity for self-governance or moderation. Even the most foolhardy child fearing something will flinch and wail at some threat, but she never did.

Where she wished to go she went, except when forcibly restrained, and then she simply shrieked until in desperation the restraints were withdrawn.

“Let me have a look at this wife of yours, are you a Jew or a gypsy, surely he wouldn’t bring one of those here would he?" she asked. Someone ought to throttle such women; it’s the 'cute little old lady syndrome’, you know, she can just say anything awful, do spiteful things, and people are supposed to say how feisty and full of life she is.

They were four middle-aged men and four slightly younger women; at first glance they seem as identical to me as buckshot. All were round, soft/short, with high color in their cheeks; they all spoke with loud uninflected tones, but only about themselves, their children, their servants, the state of their health, their activities, their homes and their possessions, making full bores of themselves.

...Renford blustered in here raising hell about everything. I overheard him delivering ultimatums, threatening to take his immortal work to Simon and Schuster....when I finished eavesdropping I burst out laughing because he’s six foot three, dumb as an ox.

The goon’s book sold eighteen hundred copies and my Dutchman’s sold a million one.

I compared him with my little Dutchman who’s five foot five and never raises his voice.

I wanted to butt in and tell the ranter, "You haven’t earned the right to throw your weight around yet.. .tell me in a quiet voice., .what it is we can do for you. ”

Sometimes he’s an iceberg; he gives the impression of being indifferent, no matter what’s happening to him or his books. But he does reveal a passionate interest whenever the actual publication of his book is involved. He wants to see the typeface, check the length of the line, satisfy himself that the paper’s opaque, verify the mapwork.

He also wants to see the jacket, the artwork, the blurb...even if he’s disappointed he never makes waves. “Does this look right to you?” is about as far as he’ll go.

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The class teacher

The education of children in their formative years is a difficult and important trust which places a considerable burden of responsibility on the teacher. The qualities that have enabled teachers to carry this responsibility are not easy to define. Yet there qualities exist in abundance in our primary schools, and it may be useful to try and enumerate some of those that characterize the good teacher in the primary school of today.

Qualities of heart and head go together in the making of a good teacher. Her whole attitude is optimistic and cheerful. She does not pretend to be omniscient, but is lively, keen, receptive, enjoying her work and sharing w ith her pupils their jest for new discoveries. The fact that her interests are far, wider than the school curriculum helps to make her more interesting as a teacher. She can explain a difficult point clearly, knows many ways of presenting information and is resourceful in creating situations in which the pupils make discoveries for themselves.

Out of her daily contacts with children comes an understanding on which the mature teacher relies. She is sympathetic, patient, especially with slow pupils, and fair to all, avoiding any appearance of favourites. Her sympathy is genuine but unsentimental, she can be firm when the situation demands.

Above all, the good teacher is alive to the possibility of improving the comment and method of her teaching and therefore keeps abreast of new developments, gives them adequate trial, and. absorbs, whatever elements are suited to her own situation. She herself is able through the discoveries which she makes in her classroom, to contribute to the body of knowledge upon which educational progress depends.

She influence of the successful teacher extends beyond own classroom in yet another way - through the help which she is able to give to inexperienced colleagues who may at first find difficulty in translating educational theory into classroom practice. In return she is quick to appreciate the value of contacts with younger teachers trained in advanced methods.

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