GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - On Friday last week, Union High School had the honour of hosting world-renowned motivational speaker, Dr Arnold Mol, where he presented three seminars - to the Matric class of 2018, the teaching staff, followed by one to the Union parents on Friday evening.
During the morning session, Dr Mol addressed the Union matrics on the topic of “The pursuit of status” - the difference between external and internal status, and how to focus on internal status.
The success of external status will automatically happen when you live your life concentrating on your internal beliefs, morals and standards, and doing good to others.
It was a very inspired and motivated group of young adults that left the seminar.
During the afternoon seminar, the teaching staff had the opportunity to listen to Dr Mol in a very interactive session on “How to motivate your learners in the classroom” - how motivating your learners is a two-fold task; firstly conveying knowledge and values, and secondly motivating your learners to study.
Teachers were encouraged, instead of following a traditional theory of supervising homework and spoon-feeding learners with information, rather apply the resource theory – helping learners to set their own goals, which puts the responsibility of learning on the learners themselves.
On Friday evening, parents were told the characteristics of a teenager - how they search for their own identity, struggling with poor self-image and striving for their independence, and that the main sources of conflict stems from parents still wanting to be in control and teenagers wanting to ‘prove’ that they are no longer children.
Parents were advised to give their children unconditional love, unhurried time and “permission without approval”; how rules should always focus on the “consideration of others”, and to be hard on moral standards, but soft on people.
Dr Mol raised some controversial ideas, which certainly left the parents with some food for thought, and that, at the end of the day, no parents can win a battle of wills with a teenager!
Dr Mol addressing the Union High matric class on The Persuit of Status.
Union thanks all their matrics, teachers and especially the parents who took advantage of the opportunity to come and listen to this amazing man, who so wilfully shares his knowledge with people across the world.
Read a related article: Union to host world renowned speaker
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