BIG HISTORY 2

ACTIVITY 8.3: Reflection: “Stop Telling our Kids to Dream High.”

Direction/s: Using the threshold card below, supply the appropriate answer by providing THREE
(3) to FIVE (5) SENTENCES for each question.

Reflection: Name:
“Skip Telling our Course:
Kids to Dream Year & Section:
High” Schedule:
Article:
Author: Daryl Pasion - What if it only takes one word to change the world?
@inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily I am a teacher in language and culture, and one topic that my
Inquirer 05:02 AM July students and I enjoy discussing is how our language can influence
08, 2018 our thoughts and affect our behavior.

Daryl Pasion, 26, is a For instance, it is typical for Filipino parents to tell and expect their
UP Los Baños teacher children to dream high — or, in our language, “mangarap nang
and a linguistics mataas.”
graduate student in UP
Diliman.
A father bragging about his son would tell his kumpare, “Mataas ang
pangarap ng batang ’yan!” (He’s aiming high!), followed by
“Pangarap niyan maging doktor (o abogado).” (He wants to become a
doctor [or a lawyer].)

But what magic would it do if, instead of teaching our children

“mangarap nang mataas,” we teach them “mangarap nang malalim” (to
dream deep)?

In our culture, dreams or “pangarap” are expressed in height, not

depth. That is why our metaphors for dreams include those that are
above us, like stars.

Remember the song “Pangarap na Bituin”? Or those classic lyrics —

“sama-sama nating abutin, pinakamatayog na bituin” (Hand in hand, we
reach for the highest star)?

Add to that, we also describe our dreams as “abot-kamay,” that

image of a hand reaching upward.

Depth or “lalim,” meanwhile, is associated with emotions. That’s why

we are inclined to describe our “galit” (anger) at our enemies and our
“pag-ibig” (love) for our partners as “malalim,” not “mataas.”

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BIG HISTORY 2

Our heartbroken BFF always has “malalim na hugot” (deep angst). We

describe our thoughtful friends, those with strong emotions or
advocacies, as “malalalim na tao” (deep people).
How, then, would a child’s perception of dreams change if, at an
early age, he or she is taught to dream deep, rather than dream high?
To teach our children “mangarap nang malalim” is to give them not
wings to fly, but roots to grow.
Imagine if dreams are fueled by strong emotions, longing and desire.
This way, children see the depth in their dreams — that they dream
to become a lawyer or an engineer or a doctor, not to qualify as
“may mataas na pinag-aralan” (well-educated), but to be a lawyer for
the unheard, or an architect for the homeless, or a doctor for the
poor.

What if it only takes that one word to create a better world?

Just imagine a father bragging about his son, telling his kumpare,
“Malalim ang pangarap ng batang ’yan!”
Answers:
What do you This seems similar to “work smarter not harder”. There is something
understand about: “to that we thought was the only way we could make or something we
dream deep, rather thought was the only thing to dream about because of what other
than dream high”? people say and what is right and proper for them. To dream deep is
also to work smart, you need to base it on your abilities and passions.
You should ask yourself if you do see yourself in that field, and if
you’ll be happy and interested in that after five to ten years.
Assertiveness is also important as you must focus on the things you
love and things that’ll make you happy and not just on what other
people tell you to do. Some people tell us that our dreams are small
and low but that just because our own choices doesn’t satisfy their own
expectations. If our dreams seem unusual, impractical, easy, or not
high paying, many people consider it “low” and tell us to dream higher
on that. We will always hear snide remarks but we should not listen to
that kind of thing coming from others because we know ourselves
better.

How will you react to: I do agree in this phrase that parents or guardians should teach their
“to teach our children children to dream deep rather than to dream high. They should not
“mangarap nang pressure or force their children to pursue things they do not want. Take
malalim” is to give
a consideration on their likes and dislikes, and their strengths and
them not wings to fly,
but roots to grow. weaknesses. This phrase implies the strong and solid foundation that
children will be having if their parents choose to give them roots to
grow rather than giving them wings to fly. Let them pursue the dream
they want, the dream that can make them happy and help them grow,
not just the dream that will make them rich and make them look higher
than the others. Each dream or ambition is incomparable with each
 other, there is no superior profession and high dream as there is no
inferior profession and low dream. So as a parent, you need to let your
child pursue the dream he or she wants regardless how high or low is
the salary.
Think of ONE word to The word support is the one I have chosen that I think can create a
create a better world. better world because supporting someone in their progress can raise
Why did you choose you up as well. Letting everyone to do where they are best at creates a
this?
diverse world of talents and skills that will help us pull each other up,
and would continue to serve this world for its development and the
development of its people.

Give one important I realized that regardless of what people say, we should always choose
realization you have to continue. I should always choose to fulfill the dream I want and the
learned in this article. dream that will help me grow rather than the dream that will make me
rich and look higher than the others. The strength and courage we have
shown is enough to ignite the fire to do what we love doing and do
what we best at.

My Commitment: I commit to do everything in my power to achieve my goals, make

my parents proud, and be happy. Furthermore, I will thrive to not let
the dishearten comes from me, even when times are challenging and I
will never be discouraged with the snide remarks that I will hear from
others.

Signature/Affirmation:I refuse to give up on my dream.

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