Team Ahimsa Blog Relay, Various Contests

Pigheaded - Rated ASR - Week 2 pr 2 - Words 298

298 WORDS

Pigheaded.

Stubborn.

Unwilling to compromise.

Not a team player.

I've been called all this and more, because I am pigheaded, stubborn, unwilling to compromise and not on board with a team that conducts any sort of classes for kids which compromise on the kids' benefitting.

I will not tolerate any other consideration being prioritized over the participants getting short term and long term value.

Therefore, my workshops for kids are workshops. They are not babysitting sessions during which the older child supposedly does Shakespeare while the younger one supposedly looks on. What winds up happening is it's a cover up to babysit the younger one for the benefit of the parents' social life.

I'm not against parents having a social life, but not at this cost. Don't dump an eight year old into a Shakespeare session meant for age 12 and above. She'll feel intimidated and it might put her off literature forever. Even if I lose you as a customer, I won't let you dump that kid on me.

Same goes for event organizers. Don't try to gain numbers by having five year olds in the same batch as 13 year olds. I won't buy your argument that they'll be good for each other. Everyone's pants will be bored off.

Yes, I've walked out of meetings for these reasons and I've lost a lot of work over the years. I will not compromise on age group. This has got me into a lot of trouble with adults who have their own agendas.

But it's heartwarming when those I have taught tell me how - decades later - they remember my sessions with fondness. By being strict, I created something real and memorable for the age groups I did manage to get through to and I'm so glad about that.

Prompt ▼

* What things are you not willing to ever compromise and willing to battle to the end over, and why?