父母的必修課：兒童成長

父母的必修課: Child Development



 

好幾年前四處求職時有一個單位獨出心裁要求應聘者寫一篇文字, 論述兒童成長這門課程在高等教育中所處的地位. 上百家單位都沒有這個要求, 隻有這家如此霸道. 好象你的學術論文都不管用, 還得看你臨時寫的一篇小文來一錘定乾坤. 無奈求職者有求於人, 倚人屋簷下不得不低頭, 按其要求, 冥思苦想草草成篇.想想就像有的單位要求你交上各種文憑證書再加一份"教學哲學" 一樣, 管你有沒有什麽教學哲學. 寫好寄出還得到了一個電話會談,  回想大約這應聘文字還算對上了人家招聘者的口味, 那是加州大學的哪所分校, 比較歡迎強調將兒童成長課設置為大學必修課的論點. 盡管電話會議之後沒有下文, 那是因為本人被別的單位"挖掘"走了, 對那家出了"命題作文"的某加州單位電話之後沒有下文的作法毫不耿耿於懷. 畢竟, 是由於他們的緣故, 讓我作了一點思考. 也許, "兒童成長" 這門課真的應該是每一個成年人, 尤其是為人父母的成年人的必修課.

“The Role of Child Development in Higher Education”

 

            To tell you the truth, I have occasionally thought of this issue before. But thanks to this assignment I’ve got a chance to think this issue more systematically.

            Most of our traditional students will go on, upon completing their college education, with their careers and maybe starting their own families. When they start their parenthood, they may face the challenge how to become great parents. Whether their life path is smooth or not matters invariantly greatly to their children, one way or the other.

            Their children are fortunate if our students are good parents. Their children may have great opportunity to grow smoothly, wade through various paths of their life, easy or not so easy, develop their skills and talents, and then reach their potentials with the support, cheerleading, and nurturing care from their parents. However, if those students of ours did not make so great parents, it is their children who are going to suffer and our future thus dims.

            Apart from becoming parents themselves, a lot of our students will have many direct contacts with the next generation. They may become teachers, coaches, nurses, or counselors. They even may become authors, writing for young people or not so young people; they may become producers making movies, music, toys, or artwork that may influence our young children in numerous ways and making difference in a child’s life.

            In short, our students have contacts to the future.

            I am not certain whether there are solid statistic figures that indicate a strong positive correlation between taking child development courses and becoming future good parents, good teachers, good coaches and so on, but I do speculate there must be, to a great extent.

            I do believe when our students have learned about the characteristics of children in every stage from prenatal and neonatal periods, through infancy, toddlerhood, early childhood, middle childhood, till adolescence, when they understand what are the contributing factors to the different aspects of developmental processes in physical, cognitive, social and emotional change and growth, they have great chance to cultivate themselves into competent parents, teachers, coaches, to become a caring, nurturing, and guiding adult to ensure their young with a healthy  and harmonious environment to grow up in. I will be thrilled to see the torch of kindness and care passed on this way, and I will be very pleased with the future of the humankind, even though on that day I may no longer be here.

            To drive you need to obtain a driver’s license, to get married, you need a marriage license. Sometimes I wish that in order to become a competent adult, you need take a course or two on child development, much like the way that the introductory psychology course is required of almost every college student.

            In an ideal society, every citizen should be equipped with and well versed with the theories and principles of child development.

 

            I firmly believe the role of child development in higher education is not just important—it is indispensable.