2021年英语四级美文赏析：The Importance of Developing Attitudes思维导图

Ofalltheareasoflearningthemostimportantisthedevelopmentofattitudes.Emotionalreactionsaswellaslogicalthoughtprocessesaffectthebehaviorofmostpeople.“Theburntchildfearsthefire”isoneinstance;anotheristheriseoffigureslikeHitler.Boththeseexamplesalsopointupthefactthatattitudescomefromexperience.

Intheonecasetheexperienceisdirectandimpressive,intheotheritisindirectandgradual.Theclassroomteacherintheelementaryschoolisinstrategicpositiontoinfluenceattitudes.Thisistruepartlybecausechildrenacquireattitudesfromthoseadultswhosewordstheyrespect.Anotherreasonwhyitistrueisthatpupilsoftensearchsomewhatdeeplyintoasubjectinschoolthathasonlybeentoucheduponathomeorhaspossiblyneveroccurredtothembefore.

ToachildwhohadpreviouslyacquiredlittleknowledgeofMexico,histeacher’smethodofhandlingsuchaunitwouldgreatlyaffecthisattitudetowardMexicans.Theteachercandevelopproperattitudesthroughsocialstudies,sciencematters,theveryatmosphereoftheclassroom,etc.However,whenchildrencometoschoolwithundesirableattitudes,itisunwisetoattempttochangetheirfeelingsbycriticizingthem.Theteachercanachievethepropereffectbyhelpingthemobtainconstructiveexperience.

Toillustrate,first-gradepupils,afraidofpolicemenwillprobablychangetheirattitudesafteraclassroomtalkwiththeneighborhoodofficerinwhichheexplainshowheprotectsthem.Inthesameway,aclassofolderchildrencandevelopattitudesthroughdiscussion,researchandall-daytrips.Finally,ateachermustconstantlyevaluatehisownattitudes,becausehisinfluencecanbeharmfulifhehaspersonalprejudices.

Thisisespeciallytrueinrespecttocontroversialissuesandquestionsofwhichchildrenshouldbeencouragedtoreachtheirownconclusionasresultofobjectiveanalysisofallthefacts.