I love the Oxford model of education. It advocates a close mentor-trainee relationship. The simple fact of the matter is the younger generation desires role models. People who are inspirational (whether for good or bad reasons). I mentor a young man. I’m mentored by an older man.
Very little of what we do is really original. We see someone else do it, and that serves as the basis of how we go about that activity. If every child had a positive role model (or two), the world would be a better place because that child would grow to be like the person they admired.
We model what we know. Too much of the younger generation has only experienced absentee fathers and mothers who work around the clock. Too many kids grow up without discipline or love.
They grasp onto someone to follow, and they become that person. Their dad? He’s gone, so they grow up and become absent for their families. Their mom? She works and is gone also. They grow up and do the same thing. Celebrities? Many live pretty unfortunate lives themselves, but these kids still hold them high and try to be like them when they are older.
We have an absence of positive influences in our culture. The Oxford model is the best out there, but it takes people who can actually be good mentors. We don’t have those, so kids grow up trying to be like people they shouldn’t. This leads to very, very unfortunate results that we are feeling now.
No comments:
Post a Comment