Alain de Botton: A kinder, gentler philosophy of success

Alain de Botton examina nuestras ideas sobre el éxito y el fracaso, y cuestiona las suposiciones subyacentes a estas dos valoraciones.

PARENTS MEETING

We have probably all at some time sat in a meeting, attended a presentation or taken part in a workshop and wished we were elsewhere! For busy parents, there is little worse than the feeling that you are wasting your time. However, with careful preparation, group communication can work very well and parents can get the right messages in the right ways.
Purpose and outcome
Before you hold any meeting with your parents you need to consider why you want to have it. Think about what purpose it will serve and what will be the most effective method of achieving your goals. Good group communication must have a clear purpose. This may be to:
•give information – for example, about dealing with headlice
•consult – perhaps about the services parents would like to be able to access through the setting
•generate ideas – for example, for fundraising activities
•gather information – such as feedback about how the setting might improve its induction and transition procedures
•educate – perhaps about the importance of play.
Intended outcomes must be carefully thought through to ensure the most effective organisational model is chosen. For example, will a ‘hands-on’ workshop get your message across better than a formal presentation? Do you need all of the parents present, or does the message only affect some groups? Would it be best to meet during the session or would it be more appropriate to an evening meeting.
Meetings
Well planned meetings can be a very effective way of achieving two-way communication. At best, they can provide fantastic opportunities to consult, gather information and generate ideas. At worst, however, they can leave parents feeling confused, resentful and none the wiser!
Even if your meetings are fairly informal, they should still be well planned to ensure they achieve their intended outcomes. It is important to:
•be clear about the target audience so that material is appropriate and no one is asked to give up their time unnecessarily
prepare an outline of what will be covered in the time available
•choose a sensible time for the meeting – the end of a session may often be more convenient than an evening
•provide a comfortable venue, with refreshments and consider offering crèche facilities
•give adequate notice, and keep to your published start and finish times
•avoid jargon
•the person who is managing the meeting should make sure that everyone has chance to contribute
•issue a simple evaluation proforma so you can see what went well or what could be improved
•any action or feedback resulting from the meeting should be communicated to stakeholders as appropriate.
Presentations
Presentations are an excellent way of getting information across. Again, careful thought needs to be given to
•objectives (why)
•audience (who)
•content (what)
•timing (when)
•environment (where).
The most successful presentations appeal to all learning styles, and parents, like children, will take in information in different ways.
To ensure that participants are able to process information effectively try to include:
•pictures, graphs or film for visual learners
•speech, question and answer opportunities for auditory learners
•handouts and resource samples for kinaesthetic learners.
It is also useful, as a colleague once advised me, to: ‘Tell them what you are going to tell them (brief outline of session), then tell them (give the presentation) and finally tell them what you have told them (sum up)’ as a way of ensuring your message is understood and remembered!
Giving a presentation can be a nerve-wracking experience – even for seasoned professionals! To help counter this, think the session through carefully – and even rehearse. Collect resources in advance, check equipment to make sure that your projector or PowerPoint display is working, and don’t forget to check that it can be seen from all the seats you have set out. Think about where you will stand so that you don't obscure the view and have a back-up plan in case of technological difficulties.
Other tips include:
•speak clearly – ensure you can be heard and your resources can be seen by all
•maintain good posture, confident body language and try to make eye contact with a few friendly faces
•be enthusiastic and build in appropriate humour
•include anecdotes to bring information alive
•provide support materials
•keep it simple and concentrate on the message rather than yourself
•try to relax and don’t forget to breathe!
Afterwards, don’t forget to thank everyone for attending and let them know how to get further advice or information. Remember to ask for evaluative feedback.
Above all, be open, friendly and show you value the interest of your parents.
Carole Farrar

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

Making the Time to Make a Difference
PSPN (Public School Parent's Network)
In a day and time where we all are for the most part simply trying to survive, as parents many of us have neglected the most valuable asset we have to contribute to the future. Our children.
Juggling our jobs and our family lives seems like an impossible task at times. More often than not our participation in events and issues that directly affect our children are the events and issues that we give the lowest priority. We sit back and look at the system, we complain and we talk about how ridiculous it all is, yet we can't seem to find the time to get involved. PTA and School Board Meetings go unattended. Parent Teacher Conferences are attended if there's a problem, and our children's pleas for help and support are viewed with skepticism rather than intervention. Our children desperately need us to take a stand.
Is Parental Apathy the Root of the Problem?
Probably to a large extent the answer to that question is yes. As a society we should be appalled when parents aren't active participants in their child's education. The possibilities of an improved educational system through active and vocal parental involvement are limitless. Consider these thoughts. Would bullies be quite so troublesome if their parents were aware and involved? Would standardized test scores be so low for our public schools if parent's were more tuned in to their children's academic performances? Would federal funding be in jeopardy for any schools in any district if as parents we raised our levels of expectation in terms of our children's academic achievement? Could checking your child's homework each night make that much of a difference? Absolutely!
To say that meeting all our responsibilities as parents is difficult would be the understatement of the millennium. At times it feels like the perfect mix and balance is an impossible dream and it may well be. What we have to remember however is that we really don't have a choice. Without change, ...the world we're creating by our lack of involvement is a frightening prospect.
What Parents Can Do to Make a Difference
Get involved. Let's exercise our own peer pressure as adults on other parents. If your job interferes with the level of your participation, get involved where you can. Lend your expertise to your PTA's and School Administrators. Organize neighborhood groups to help your schools clean up their campuses. Donate and volunteer whatever you can, whenever you can. Pay attention to what your child tells you about their experiences at school. Report questionable circumstances to your principals. Intervene often and early when you're made aware of situations that may have negative outcomes. As parents we have to become proactive rather than reactive. Every effort makes a difference and together we can make a change.