Eva Bach: “Knowing languages ​​is of little use if we don't speak the language of the heart”

The pedagogue, teacher and writer Eva Bach Corbacho, author of works such as Adolescents: What a wonder or Assertiveness for extraordinary people has just published a new book The Beauty of Feeling (Editorial Platform). A few days before the deadline for applications for schools in many autonomous communities is closed, this specialist in personal development and emotional intelligence helps us to know the keys when choosing the ideal school for our children.

Eva Bach gives us the keys to choose the ideal school

What should parents consider when choosing a school for their children?

The results and rankings of the schools, the ideology, the languages, the situation, the curriculum ... All of them are important aspects, but the human factor, the climate of the center, the values, attitudes seem much more essential to me and learning procedures, the type of education and relationship that is fostered ... "The best center" is what we think and feel may be best for our children and us based on our priorities. It also seems to me a crucial factor that it is a center that takes into account the intellectual, emotional, psychomotor and existential needs of children in general and of each child in particular, as well as their times, rhythms and psycho-pedagogical conditions that favor a Good learning process, the development of healthy self-esteem and socialization. All this is really the basis of a successful and vital school tour.

What is your opinion about personalized education colleges with fewer students?

They usually have many advantages and few inconveniences psychopedagogically speaking. From the neurobiological point of view we know that neuronal activation is reinforced when a child feels well cared for and is stimulated through the close affective accompaniment of the adult. This is easier and feasible when there are fewer students. These types of schools also favor greater attention and stimulation of the multiple intelligences and the particular talents of each child. In addition, mismatches or difficulties can be redirected much faster and in ways much more adapted to each child. The biggest handicap is usually that they have a high economic cost, but investing in education is investing in one of the greatest treasures of a country.

Can bilingualism or direct teaching in a foreign language different from ours, condition our choice?

Normally it is a determining and decisive factor when choosing school. In our country it is one of the pending subjects, since both bilingualism and teaching in a foreign language have numerous advantages (in terms of auditory perception, listening, amplitude of the phonetic range and vocabulary, verbal structures, communication skills, attention, concentration, etc.), as long as they are properly applied, gradually and keeping the mother tongue in a primary place. I think it is good and necessary to start early in learning other languages, and at the same time I want to emphasize that speaking several languages ​​is of little use if we do not learn to speak the most important of all, which is the language of the heart.

In your opinion, what decisive information should the principal of the school or nursery school provide us with as an option to take our children?

A first essential aspect is to know in which areas the professionals of the center are deepening and expanding their knowledge, the future challenges that arise as a team and school, and also the way they conceive childhood, upbringing, education and the role of the family. Given the relevance and the inescapable need to build a solid emotional skeleton from the first day of life, the head of the nursery school should show parents that a warm and loving treatment is provided to children and a communication that favors the taking of emotional awareness since they are babies. Another determining issue is that the educational project is psychopedagogically sound and that the areas of development that are stimulated and the methodological procedures are made known. It is also particularly important to show the facilities, educational spaces and materials, and their characteristics and uses, as well as the basic information on the operation of the center and the safety and guidelines and criteria that are followed in the meals, rest, habits, hygiene and other three essential aspects: play, socialization and communication with parents. In addition, beyond what the principal can tell and show them, parents should prepare a list of questions and aspects they would like to know.

Is it important when choosing a college or nursery school that the educational project is a continuation of what happens in our own home?

There is an aphorism that says "my school is my second home and my home is my first school." Yes, I believe that there must necessarily be a fundamental harmony, to agree essentially, to share common inspiring goals and values ​​that make us row in the same direction. But it is not the end of the world if there are some values ​​that family and school do not share and even some aspect in which we disagree. This, a priori, does not have to involve any kind of harm to the children. If parents recognize and validate the authority, power and priority of teachers at school and teachers do the same with respect to parents at home and, above all, we respect each other, everything will be fine.

What is the optimal age to start kindergarten? How to face the feeling of guilt of the parents?

I don't think there is an optimal age, and if there is one, it is different for each child. But there are optimal conditions and conditions that leave much to be desired. When we try to ensure that the conditions are optimal, the best possible at all levels, any age can be good and of course the feeling of guilt of the parents is greatly mitigated when we know that our child has an attention of absolute quality in its different fields or dimensions: physiological, psychomotor, emotional, affective, social and educational. You can also mitigate the feeling of guilt when we leave our children to do something that fills us, makes us feel good, improves us as people and returns to our children more willing and available. Another way to mitigate the feeling of guilt is to compensate them explicitly with moments of mindfulness and exquisite warmth and human quality.

In your opinion, what part of the education is the responsibility of the parents and should not be bequeathed to school?

There is no doubt that the first school is the family and there are data that say that about 60% of who we are, as a minimum, is the result of family transmission, so the responsibility of The parents are always older than the school. In terms of content, concepts and learning procedures, we can and should delegate to the school, while regarding vital attitudes, habits, values, sensitivity, emotional growth, self-esteem, sociability, civics, humanity, etc. . Not only can we not bequeath it completely to the school, but we have to be very aware that it is the parents who take the baton and who have to assume the main responsibility. Being parents entails the commitment to grow throughout life to help our children grow and we must work hard on it and persevere.

Source: http://www.elmundo.es

Eva Bach: Knowing languages ​​is of little use if we don't speak the language of the heart n