Book Snap #3 Lessons from the book

This quote regarding the central theme of the book resonated with me. As a parent of 2 young girls, I feel like I overly "helicopter" my kids in all areas outside of my home, but am more lenient with technology at home. As I reflect, this really is not a great parenting strategy! This page really hooked me into reading the rest of the book and seemed to be a consistent theme. While I didn't agree with all of Haidt's views on "real-world freedom", I think the point was valid and caused a lot of reflection for me.  

This struck me because it is such a simple, obvious way to being on the right track to successfully and effectively manage a classroom.  "It is vital for teachers to get to know their students beyond their academic profile.  To this end, we encourage teachers to ask students about their interests, hobbies, aspirations, and family lives.  When we humanize one another, it's much harder to be harsh, rude, or defiant," pg. 26.  This allows teachers to not only connect on a personal level, but they can apply this information about their students' likes/dislikes and background knowledge to curriculum content, which furthers connections and fosters relationships throughout the class.  Talking with students and getting to know them personally doesn't always have to be life-changing, but all those small personal moments can be pathways to trust and respect, which sets the stage for a well-managed classroom.  

As I started this book on page 15 what stood out to me was the No smartphones before high school and no social media before 16. This made me think of my own children who are 12, 10, and 7. My older two do have a cell phone they share but that was because we no longer have a landline so it was a way for them to call us when they are home and we are not and then for them to carry with them around the neighborhood when they are out playing with the neighborhood kids. We went with the smartphone because then we can track them around the neighborhood with the life 360 app.
It worked great for that purpose for the first couple of years. It sat on the counter and then when they left the house they put it in their bike bag.
Now as they are older and their friends have phones and are on social media apps they also want to be. The struggle is real. We have allowed our oldest to join one social media app and we have limits on it and go on and check to see what he is doing. But we can't monitor it 24/7 and we can't monitor what others are posting. 
I wish we could go back to the days of no phones but that will not happen. I am hoping as I continue to read this book I find helpful information to use at home with my own children and at work with my students.