Should the teachers do this?

Use this forum to discuss the May 2023 Book of the Month, "Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures" by Catherine A. Pepe
Jenipher Owino
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Re: Should the teachers do this?

Post by Jenipher Owino »

Yeah it's important sometimes a teacher to choose fo you a friend because he knows every child in his class and their behaviors
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Ochieng Omuodo
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Post by Ochieng Omuodo »

I wouldn't call it interfering, certainly not in this case. Look at how the friend of the week worked for Donny: to accompany him to lunch and recess, learn classroom rules, etc. And Mary Grace only stopped feeling like an 'oddball' after she got her own friend, Penelope. Teachers do have a legitimate role in childcare that doesnt usurp parental responsibilities.
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Post by Nate Mosson »

While it's natural for teachers to want to help new students settle in and make friends, it's important for them to strike a balance between guidance and interference. Teachers can create a welcoming environment by encouraging classroom activities that foster positive interactions and teamwork, but ultimately, the responsibility of forming friendships should be left to the children themselves.
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Kwambo Eunice
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Post by Kwambo Eunice »

Yeah I think it's a right thing to do for a new students so that he or she can't be carried away by bad campanies of students
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Post by Oluwa Tomisin »

I don't think it's wrong to assign a friend of the week, most times new kids find it hard to make friends because there's nothing putting them together, but once they find the means or a reason ti talk to someone it makes it easier.
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Post by Angie Fernandez »

In the book, Mrs. Root asks Penelope to seek Mary Grace out and help her feel more welcome at school. As the girls spend more time together, they enjoy one another's company and soon become inseparable.
Even as adults, don't we often gravitate toward people who look and act like us? I think it can be a great idea to get people out of their comfort zones and make friends with new people. My dad was in the Air Force, so we moved a lot. I really appreciated it when others included me and helped me feel welcomed.
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Post by Jacob Mamman »

In cases where the child is struggling to make friends, the teacher might intervene and help out the child only if the child wants because children of this generation may not like that.
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Chinazo Anozie
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Post by Chinazo Anozie »

I don't see anything wrong with it; in fact, I think it's a great idea for new kids to a school so that they don't feel lonely, alone and too much of an outsider. However, I believe "friend of the week" should be used to younger kids, like Mary Grace's age, while for older kids, it should be called a guide or something similar.
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Post by Holland Addison »

I think the use of the word friend is understandable in the context, when you are 5 every colleague at the school is a friend. I think is a good idea.
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Princewill Uchenna
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Post by Princewill Uchenna »

I think the use of the word friend is understandable in the context, when you are 5 every colleague at the school is a friend. I think is a good idea.
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Badger Martin
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Post by Badger Martin »

Yeah I think teachers should do this. The social wellbeing of kids under their care should be their priority as kids tend to perform well in environments they find comfortable.
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Post by Eobi jonh »

I think it's perfectly reasonable to use the term 'friend' in this context, especially when you're only 5 years old. At that age, every classmate and schoolmate feels like a friend.
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Post by aub lamar »

The term "friend" might imply a level of familiarity and closeness that may not be present in this situation. Instead, I could use a term like "supportive figure"
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