Today, we live in a world that is run by systems and programs. Though different in many aspects of life, they seem to have one common factor, a factor that may be neglected by some but very invasive in its vice. When a program is adopted, during the trial phase, everything seems to work out well, not until a large-scale program is adopted (Page 1). The same system that seemed to work out in the trial phase is faced out within three years of incorporation! Could it be that the staff changed? Why is it that the models adopted remain as models? Is it that the parties involved during the development of the model were too rigid to change? Maybe, maybe not. The solution lies in between the founders of the program who should be able to make a flexible model that can adapt to change easily.
The strict nature of our programs has made it hard for professionals like tutors in great Elementary schools like Twin Oaks, to bond with children and help them out in their real problems. Children will open up if they form a deep relationship with their tutor. Some of the tutors are their mentors, and they need to guide the kids with some of the aspects of life other than just teaching them to read and write. I would not differ with the fact that today, our “professionalism” is killing a lot of ambitions in young kids who want to open up on the real issues troubling them for them to get along well with their studies. In the Common Purpose reading, I agree with the fact that for a program to be successful, it’s not just about the services offered, but it takes patience, compassion and cares to change lives of kids (Page 5).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Commitment to stay with young kids in their struggles as I experienced in Twin Oak not only strengthens the relationship with school kids but also make them believe that they belong to the family. A family that takes care of them and makes them feel loved. By this alone, kids’ performance tends to grow, and the services of the program are achieved in return. Instead of being straight forward, for example, a successful program will look for ways of responding to a parents’ revelation of a drug problem as it will affect the kids' life in school (Page 6). Another aspect that stroke me was that, successful programs see children in the context of their families. With this in mind, I thought of how Twin Oaks would be more of a family when the program incorporated the view that is highlighted in Common Purpose reading. With more focus on parents so that they can nurture their children, common purpose reveals the fact that children should be placed in their family contexts (Page 7). Schools need to join community development institutions if need be, to strengthen families hence enhancing their children's' growth and being adaptable to Elementary school program life.
Living as a society in a school set up, not only makes it easier to live with kids in a harmonious way but also builds another family away from home. Contexts have changed and getting more involved in affairs that affect kids, such as their family background, is key. The article further explains that, for a program to be successful, it needs to be managed by competent individuals who have clearly defined skills which are identical. I have seen that the programs which clearly defines their ‘why’s’ are the ones are truly successful. I am now left to wonder how many other institutions in the country lack the proper management skills and reasons to run their program effectively so as not to remain as models and impact millions of other lives around the region. Flexibility and adaptability stand out as the most important trait in programs implementations. Other than sticking to the books and papers, effective systems should focus on results (Page 8). We should be ready to bend the rules if necessary. The flexibility allows us to move with time, which changes, and also incorporate aspects that once worked out in the early stages of a program but need to be ‘bent’ for it to be a success when it is adopted by millions of people in the field.
References
Schorr, L. B. (1998). Common purpose: Strengthening families and neighborhoods to rebuild America . "What Works and Why We Have So Little of It\". Introduction and Chapter 1. Anchor Books.
