You have undoubtedly heard advice like this, and most likely from teacher burnout victims. You don't want to lose control of your class, but you probably don't want to become like the burnout victims either.
The question of children's innate nature is very important for a teacher who wants to manage a pleasant but orderly classroom. But what is the answer to this question? Are children good, evil, or somewhere in between?
Before you read any further, I would like for you to make four lists. List as many items as you can in each category:
1. What is GOOD for children but UNATTRACTIVE to children?
2. What is HARMFUL to children but ATTRACTIVE to children?
3. What is GOOD for children and ATTRACTIVE to children?
4. What is HARMFUL to children and UNATTRACTIVE to children?
For #1, I list school, medicine, and penicillin shots.
For #2, I list junk food, illegal drugs, and excessive TV watching.
For #3, I list social activity, exercise, juicy fruit, and hugs and kisses from the right people.
For #4, I list fire, sharp objects, wild animals, and anything else that is physically painful.
Children can't be patently good, or questions #1 and #2 would be blank. But children can't be patently bad either, or questions #3 and #4 would be blank.
What, then, is the correct answer? This will become clear to you if you compare the answers to #1 and #2 with the answers to #3 and #4. I bet that most of your answers to #1 and #2 are modern inventions and most of your answers to #3 and #4 are items created by Nature.
This leads me to the opinion that children are evolved for survival in the wilderness and have not yet evolved for survival in the technological age. So let me sign off with that announcement.
For another article on the subject, read Are Children Inherently Bad?
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