父母的必修课：儿童成长

父母的必修课: Child Development



 

好几年前四处求职时有一个单位独出心裁要求应聘者写一篇文字, 论述儿童成长这门课程在高等教育中所处的地位. 上百家单位都没有这个要求, 只有这家如此霸道. 好象你的学术论文都不管用, 还得看你临时写的一篇小文来一锤定乾坤. 无奈求职者有求于人, 倚人屋檐下不得不低头, 按其要求, 冥思苦想草草成篇.想想就像有的单位要求你交上各种文凭证书再加一份"教学哲学" 一样, 管你有没有什么教学哲学. 写好寄出还得到了一个电话会谈,  回想大约这应聘文字还算对上了人家招聘者的口味, 那是加州大学的哪所分校, 比较欢迎强调将儿童成长课设置为大学必修课的论点. 尽管电话会议之后没有下文, 那是因为本人被别的单位"挖掘"走了, 对那家出了"命题作文"的某加州单位电话之后没有下文的作法毫不耿耿于怀. 毕竟, 是由于他们的缘故, 让我作了一点思考. 也许, "儿童成长" 这门课真的应该是每一个成年人, 尤其是为人父母的成年人的必修课.

“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.