The family, religion and education are the three primary social institutions in democratic societies. The family is the
most basic of all three because its function is to bring new people into the world. Education and religion assist the
family in socializing children, teaching the new citizens to live according to the cultural expectations of society. For a
half a century, I have worked in all three areas, as an educator, a social psychologist and a minister. This newsletter
focuses on human relations. It is intended to assist families in all three areas of development. You are invited to react
to the content of this letter. In fact, your input will assure its relevance. Topics on all three areas will be discussed
according to needs expressed.
The section Ask the Teacher will be led by Elsida E. Cordova, Pd.D., a retired educator from the American school
system. E-mail her at asktheteacher@religiousreview.com
For a FREE subscription to this newsletter, e-mail me at Newsletter@religiousreview.com
most basic of all three because its function is to bring new people into the world. Education and religion assist the
family in socializing children, teaching the new citizens to live according to the cultural expectations of society. For a
half a century, I have worked in all three areas, as an educator, a social psychologist and a minister. This newsletter
focuses on human relations. It is intended to assist families in all three areas of development. You are invited to react
to the content of this letter. In fact, your input will assure its relevance. Topics on all three areas will be discussed
according to needs expressed.
The section Ask the Teacher will be led by Elsida E. Cordova, Pd.D., a retired educator from the American school
system. E-mail her at asktheteacher@religiousreview.com
For a FREE subscription to this newsletter, e-mail me at Newsletter@religiousreview.com
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Volume 1, Number 3 Focusing on Relations February 1, 2007
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Volume 1, Number 3 Focusing on Relations February 1, 2007
==============================================================================
ASK THE TEACHER
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Words of Wisdom
and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
-Proverbs 16:20 NIV.
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Words of Wisdom
and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
-Proverbs 16:20 NIV.
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| How to Develop an Effective Prayer Life is my latest book. It deals with becoming intimate with God through prayer. Order your copy from your favorite bookstore or click the book icon. |
Question: Each day of the week my 7-year old,
second grader comes home with an assignment.
How important is it for him to do it promptly?
Answer: Homeworks is a most important part of
your child’s education. It should be completed
as requested by the teacher to reinforce what
the child already learned at school. No other
material should be included in the homework, as
parents may not have the knowledge to teach it.
Consider the following. Each child is different.
One may prefer to do his homework immediately
after getting home from school. Another may
want to have a snack and play a little. A third
might like to watch a bit of TV after school.
Either preference is fine.
Homework should be done at a time and a place
agreed upon by parent and child. It should be
away from all distraction or interference by
others. And once the decision is made,
consistence is most important.
Should you help your child with his homework?
Absolutely, but please do not do the work for
him. He needs to do it himself as an exercise in
learning..
second grader comes home with an assignment.
How important is it for him to do it promptly?
Answer: Homeworks is a most important part of
your child’s education. It should be completed
as requested by the teacher to reinforce what
the child already learned at school. No other
material should be included in the homework, as
parents may not have the knowledge to teach it.
Consider the following. Each child is different.
One may prefer to do his homework immediately
after getting home from school. Another may
want to have a snack and play a little. A third
might like to watch a bit of TV after school.
Either preference is fine.
Homework should be done at a time and a place
agreed upon by parent and child. It should be
away from all distraction or interference by
others. And once the decision is made,
consistence is most important.
Should you help your child with his homework?
Absolutely, but please do not do the work for
him. He needs to do it himself as an exercise in
learning..
THE ROOTS OF THINKING AND DOING
J. C. Cordova, D.Min., LCSW
In the last article, we discussed how the person’s
frame of reference develops. Without a frame of
reference we would be unable to relate to
others, and others would not be able to relate to
us, either. It is the frame of reference what
makes us be the persons we are.
Now, each person perceives reality in a unique
way. The literature indicates that even identical
twins sense reality differently. This fact makes it
important for us to know what makes us think
and act the way we do at a difference from
others. Obviously, this knowledge helps us to
relate better with others.
Consider the following. The skin of the human
body is covered with nerve endings called
receptors. These receptors are highly
specialized. Their function is to sense the
outside world. But because of the physiological
uniqueness of the human body, perception
varies from person to person.
So, when we see, touch, hear, taste or small a
substance from outside the body, a message
goes to the brain for identification based on the
knowledge existing in the memory bank. And
since sensory perception is very deceptive,
often the identification is faulty. For instance,
everyday we see objects located far from us.
Instantly a message goes to the brain for
identification. Right away, the brain identifies the
objects. Then, as we approach these objects
perception changes and the brain conclusions
vary as well. Myriad examples exist about
erroneous sensory perception of physical
objects.
At the more abstract level, in the realm of ideas,
we form opinions about local, national and world
affairs based on knowledge acquired from our
immediate and more distant significant others.
Then, this attitude or predisposition to act are
expressed in actual behavior. Depending on the
degree of intensity of our attitudes, we act out
our feelings in a moderate or extreme manner.
A major component in attitude development is
belief, because it determines what is most
important for the person. Folks adhering to the
Judeo-Christian tradition value the moral
orientation taught by the Ten Commandments
and the reinforcing efforts put forth by Jesus, his
disciples and the church. And this attitude
shapes the behavior of the believer to reflect the
values system.
A change in the belief system of individuals also
modifies their value system to conform to the
new views. A disregard for the Ten
Commandments, the teachings of Jesus and the
church relaxes the value system. People
involved in this change adjust their behavior to
conform to the new belief system.
For instance, young people attending college
away from home upholding traditional Judeo-
Christian principles, often return with more
liberal views reflecting the influence of people
with liberal believes and value systems. Often,
these changes affect family relations in different
ways.
Next time, we will go into the dynamics of
relations. Until then. God bless you all.
J. C. Cordova, D.Min., LCSW
In the last article, we discussed how the person’s
frame of reference develops. Without a frame of
reference we would be unable to relate to
others, and others would not be able to relate to
us, either. It is the frame of reference what
makes us be the persons we are.
Now, each person perceives reality in a unique
way. The literature indicates that even identical
twins sense reality differently. This fact makes it
important for us to know what makes us think
and act the way we do at a difference from
others. Obviously, this knowledge helps us to
relate better with others.
Consider the following. The skin of the human
body is covered with nerve endings called
receptors. These receptors are highly
specialized. Their function is to sense the
outside world. But because of the physiological
uniqueness of the human body, perception
varies from person to person.
So, when we see, touch, hear, taste or small a
substance from outside the body, a message
goes to the brain for identification based on the
knowledge existing in the memory bank. And
since sensory perception is very deceptive,
often the identification is faulty. For instance,
everyday we see objects located far from us.
Instantly a message goes to the brain for
identification. Right away, the brain identifies the
objects. Then, as we approach these objects
perception changes and the brain conclusions
vary as well. Myriad examples exist about
erroneous sensory perception of physical
objects.
At the more abstract level, in the realm of ideas,
we form opinions about local, national and world
affairs based on knowledge acquired from our
immediate and more distant significant others.
Then, this attitude or predisposition to act are
expressed in actual behavior. Depending on the
degree of intensity of our attitudes, we act out
our feelings in a moderate or extreme manner.
A major component in attitude development is
belief, because it determines what is most
important for the person. Folks adhering to the
Judeo-Christian tradition value the moral
orientation taught by the Ten Commandments
and the reinforcing efforts put forth by Jesus, his
disciples and the church. And this attitude
shapes the behavior of the believer to reflect the
values system.
A change in the belief system of individuals also
modifies their value system to conform to the
new views. A disregard for the Ten
Commandments, the teachings of Jesus and the
church relaxes the value system. People
involved in this change adjust their behavior to
conform to the new belief system.
For instance, young people attending college
away from home upholding traditional Judeo-
Christian principles, often return with more
liberal views reflecting the influence of people
with liberal believes and value systems. Often,
these changes affect family relations in different
ways.
Next time, we will go into the dynamics of
relations. Until then. God bless you all.