Selling, Training, and Parental Involvement

Arguably, the most successful idea of the past 500 years in the Western World has been liberalism.  At its core, it is a dynamic ideology that seeks to level all hierarchies, to make people interchangeable, and to offer individuals complete freedom and autonomy.  Today, the geo-political world has been swiftly coalescing into rigid coalitions of liberal and illiberal states as seen in alliances like NATO and BRICS. 

One of the effects of the liberal leveling of hierarchies is the demand of elasticity it places on people in organizations.  Some estimates suggest that adults are spending about “40% of their time in activities such as persuading, influencing, and convincing.”  

Parents are no stranger to these activities.  If you have ever attempted to help a young person learn math, play an instrument, or write a paper with some modicum of maturity, most likely non-sales selling, habit forming, and accountability were necessary.   The problem is a parent can’t help their child develop maturity without true knowledge of their child’s behavior.  Often, if not always these days, parents have little to no information regarding their child’s behavior in a modern school setting. The presentation can be far different from the reality.  

One of the most overlooked and under-appreciated aspects of the CC program beyond the curriculum and its small classroom sizes is that parents are welcomed into the classroom to observe.  Having parents scattered throughout the building and classes prevents a “Lord of the Flies” experience for the students.  Instead students can expect sarcasm, bullying, cheating, roughness, and rudeness to be addressed with regularity.  It does not take much to derail a learning environment.  When the right mixture or hierarchy, duty, and authority are present in a loving atmosphere amidst caring and engaged adults, children are able to reach and strive for maturity in healthy ways.