Education specialists but also the parents of Olympians say that any student can achieve exceptional school performance if a simple recipe is followed, which includes acceptance, involvement and above all mental preparation. Rote learning is considered the death of performance.
Studying a lot and by heart is an enemy of performance PHOTO The truth
Achievement in education seems like an elusive object for many students. The Olympians seem like an almost alien category, a pantheon to which only a few have access. The same with career performance, which only a certain category of people can achieve. The specialists in education, the teachers, say that the educational performance and then a professional life accomplished both from a financial and spiritual point of view, is accessible, in fact, to all students. If a series of simple steps are followed but also the adoption of a constructive mentality, especially on the part of the parents.
The attitude and involvement of parents, the starting point for a successful school life
Cristina Bălăucă is an experienced physics teacher at the “Mihai Eminescu” National College in Botoșani, one of the elite schools in Moldova, but also deputy general school inspector at ISJ Botoșani. In addition, she is also the mother of a young professional in the field of IT research and mathematics, who was a multiple national and international Olympian during his school life. It is about Ștefan Bălăucă, the one who won six medals at the International Science Olympiads plus other awards and distinctions during his time at the faculty. Based on the experience of the department with elite students but through the prism of the experience of the parent of an international Olympian, Cristina Bălăucă explains what are the factors that can make any student a successful student and then a professional with a successful career. First of all, Cristina Bălăucă mentions the fact that every student has potential for school performance.
Parents are the main factor. First of all, they must help him discover his passion and the field in which he is good. “All students can be Olympians. All students can perform, it’s impossible not to have something they don’t excel at. But that potential must first be discovered and then used. First of all, it is about supporting the family. When the parent discovered that that child can do something, perform, in a field, but tells him that “it is of no use” or “what do you need such a thing for?”, everything is over. The child will not think of doing anything again. It’s like a riot. As long as you discover in your child that he could go a certain way, let him do that thing, even if it’s football, math, theater, whatever subject he’s passionate about. Let him do it, piss him off. The first stage is discovery. The child must be allowed to discover what he likes. Parents must get involved and offer him a wide range of activities and experiences, through which he can discover what he is good at, what he likes. And the parent must accept that passion and ability even if it does not correspond to his expectations, desires, projections. “, says Cristina Bălăucă. In other words, say the specialists, parents must first respond to children’s curiosity and at the same time engage them in all kinds of activities to discover their passions and strengths, where they feel comfortable, the activities that bring them satisfaction.
“The child who is imposed a domain will not achieve the major performance”
After discovering the child’s passion and skills and accepting them, the second stage is to encourage the child to follow their passion and enhance their existing skills to their maximum capacity throughout their school life. In short, in addition to discovering abilities, the second ingredient of academic performance is passion. If he does something with pleasure, says Cristina Bălăucă, the child will not feel the stress of learning and practicing. In addition, the field in which to perform should not be imposed. “Let him do it, encourage him, because he enjoys it, he will work hard, he will learn easily, he will work without feeling stress, fatigue, because it is what he really feels like doing. That’s the secret. The child who is forced into a domain will eventually do it, but only at an average level. It will not touch the major performance. The child who is passionate about that field, wants to solve something more, or learn another piece of music, or score another goal in soccer. There he goes for pleasure and will give his best. He won’t even realize how time passes, he won’t feel the stress like a child forced to do something,” adds the teacher from Botošan.
Positive competition and mental preparation. “The child must be taught to lose”
Ingredients number three and number four are, as the specialists show, positive competition, but above all the mental preparation of the child to face both school life and competitions or Olympics. Cristina Bălăucă says the competitive environment is the place where the child can evaluate himself, push his limits, grow and is also the environment where he learns to overcome failure. “Competition is very important, but let it be constructive competition. It should not be compared with others, scolded in comparison with others. Our children must be taught to lose. There are many children who, at the first failure, give up. No, the first failure should make you more ambitious, especially if it’s the field you like. If it is a domain imposed by the mother and failure also occurs, it is all over. “, adds the teacher from Botošan.
Specialists advise parents to provide an encouraging emotional environment for children, especially around exams, competitions and Olympics. In addition to prepare them for failure, but also to give their best, without mental pressure and conditioning. ” During the exam it doesn’t matter what you learned. Very often, good children get stuck. You have to be mentally prepared too. You have to prepare long before an exam, a competition. His mood is very important. Let them know and understand when they leave home for that exam or competition, that they may not be able to cope, but there is no problem, we will learn from our mistakes. If we at home threaten him with punishments, or condition him, it’s not ok. He must go for himself and pleasure. It is impossible not to have emotions, no matter how well prepared you are. That feeling of well-being after the exam helps you tackle the next one. If parents have expectations beyond the child’s capacity, they induce a harmful emotional state,” says Cristina Bălăucă.
“A tough nerdy kid can become an Olympian”
As the mother of an Olympian, Cristina Bălăucă says that they have as normal a life as possible, with passions and activities natural to their age. In addition, he confesses that their association with “nerds” is totally wrong. “They have as normal a life as possible. An Olympian is mistaken for a geek. For me as a teacher, the nerd is the one who does not understand what he is learning, he memorizes mostly mechanically. He knows then and there. A tough nerdy kid can make it to the Olympics. An Olympic child learns through discovery, and those things he learned will never be erased from his mind,” concludes the teacher from Botošan.
