Arvie, is Sir Arvie to many of his students. He’s a brilliant educator, an excellent singer and a wonderful “adopted” son.
Here he is singing one of my favorite songs – The Warrior is a Child”. Do play it twice to allow it to load properly, thanks.
I apologize for the wrong spelling. It has to go back to the MMC if I were to edit it again.
Congratulations to all winners, especially to Zorlone, Roy, Jenn and Deeptesh. Cheers!
Fiction / Drama / Short Story
Roy – “I’m sorry, Matthew“ – How long must one carry the guilt for something that was done in the past?
Jennifer M Scott – “Best Friends and the Meaning of It” – The beginning of a new series called Dr Simon’s Velvet Couch Monologues of Everyday People. In this one September Don confesses she wants to kill her best friend but finds something more important.
Anne Bender – “… the world faded away” – A woman’s memory of a morning with her lover.
Memoir
Jena Isle – “I Survived Raising My Teen” – A memorable episode in my life as a mother. The most challenging “career” in life is being a mother.
Poetry
Zorlone – “Ideal Teacher” – An example of Jenanian poetry about the essence of a teacher.
Zorlone – “Brick Wall” – Nothing hinders emotions than a cold and unfeeling brick wall.
Roy – “When the flame is dying…” – Do not let hatred burn forever in your heart… it will pass… let it die… let it be… so you can live in peace.
Deeptesh Sen – “An Evening in mercury” – Love in Kolkata.
Brought to you by PlotDog Press with the Serial Suspense Screenplay “Intervention”
(WOOF participants should re-post all the links above by next Monday. The following links may be excluded as long as you include all the above links.)
Presenting the finest of the writer’s blogs by the bloggers who write them. Highlighting the top posts as chosen by the October 2, 2009 WOOF Contest participants. Want in to join the next WOOF? The next contest ends October 9. Submit a link to your best writing post of the last 3 weeks using the form on this page. Participants, repost the winning link list within a week and you’re all set.
Other WOOF Contestants for 10/02/09
Fiction / Drama / Short Story
H. Benjamin Petrie – “A Couple Paragraphs of Sci-Fi War” – A very short description of war in the future.
About Writing
H. Benjamin Petrie – “Why We Would Read Something” – There’s two reasons we would read something: i) it’s well-written ii) it has an interesting story.
Poetry
Roy – “Let Go, Let God” – A poem about letting go of past pains, hurts and worries… and letting God take care of all our concerns.
Deeptesh Sen – “Parting at Park Street” – Love drifts away at the crossroads of a throbbing city!
Jennifer M Scott – “Autumn” – A poem about autumn written in acrostic form using the word autumn.
Sensitivity is defined by Merriam Webster’s dictionary, as “the awareness of the needs and emotions of others”. In other words, it is the feeling of empathy that you feel for other people. You are sensitive when you are able to feel what the other person is feeling; therefore, it belongs to the affective domain which is a behavioral branch of science.
How can you raise your boys to be sensitive?
You have to be aware that since it is an affective behavior that you want to cultivate, then you should devise the most effective method.
For teenage girls this is easier but for teenage boys, it could be more difficult as society expects them to be tough. Like when a boy cries, you can hear the mother say: “Stop crying, you’re strong. You’re a big boy now,” implying to the child that crying is only for the weak.
It is in these cultural norms that teenage boys grow nowadays. Before you could effectively teach them how to be sensitive to people around them, you have first to change their perception of what and how boys/men should behave. You can only do this if you start “teaching” them at the earliest time possible.
To raise your boys to be sensitive then is a great challenge for parents.
Below are suggested methods of doing this:
1. Teach by example
A lesson can only be taught effectively if you, as the “teacher”, demonstrate how it is done. You instruct them: “Be sensitive to other people’s needs.” But they observe you ignoring their grandmother or being insensitive to the feelings of other family members. Do you think your sons would believe you? Genuine learning would not occur because what you say are not in congruence with your actions.
On the other hand, if you show concern and take time to attend to their grandmother and other family members who need you, then they would learn about one specific way to show sensitivity.
Inculcating in them the Golden Rule could help a lot in this endeavor. Sometimes when boys are not “taught” how to be sensitive, they grow into men, who are also callous, self centered and selfish.
You should also teach them the value of being considerate. This story by Holly Jahangiri “Promises, Promises” is an appropriate example of how the teacher -who is supposed to be a responsible adult – demonstrated an insensitive behavior.
2. Let them read a book that touches on sensitivity
There are interesting teen books on line and in bookstores that talk about how to care for the welfare of others and how to be concerned about other people’s feelings. “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk Growing Up” (www.chickensoup.com/), The Little Prince are two of the many books that you could allow them to read.
If you have more suggestions, feel free to contribute them in the comment section.
3. Bring them to a community outreach program
When they see other people serving others without expecting anything in return, they would learn the value of noble, generous service. You could allow them to participate in the distribution of gifts to poor children. This would be an actual exposure and immersion for them and would leave an imprint in their young minds. The joy of being able to help and make other people happy would be a unique “high” for them. They would be more aware of being “sensitive” to other people’s needs.
4. Instruct them on the importance of body language
Body language would be a good way of knowing the emotions of other people. Being sensitive to other people’s feelings would promote a more peaceful atmosphere. Teach them how to “sense” a brewing problem through gestures and actions. “Actions speak louder than words,” so they say. They should learn – through observation – the negative gestures that could warn them of impending trouble.
5. Teach them the skill of effective communication
Oral communication should be utilized to “sense” what someone is feeling. They should know how to utilize spoken language to convey and determine what the other person is feeling. Some pointers include: listening carefully to what the other person is feeling, facing the person one is talking to, having an eye to eye contact with the person, not interrupting when one is speaking, and several others, don’t use sarcasm on children. Here is a helpful article from Patricia Rockwell on doing this effectively.
All in all, sensitivity can only be taught through demonstrative action. This is because it is a behavioral output. To be able to effectively teach your young boys to be sensitive, you must have this trait within you. Persist in showing them how to be sensitive through your own actions. You could never give what you don’t have!
What about you? Do you have any suggestions about this topic? Your ideas would be highly appreciated.
Photo by mikebaird
