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The principle goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done. ~Jean Piaget |
by Lisa Parrish
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arents agonize over so many decisions
regarding their children’s education—which preschool to sign up for, which school
zone to live in, and perhaps most importantly,
which teacher to request. Parents are
often in a quandary over what type of classroom
to select for their child—should you
pick a class laden with structure and discipline
for your rowdy young son, or a class
where the teacher is loving and encouraging
for your shy and sensitive daughter?
My question to you is: Why should you have to choose between the two? The best teachers are able to balance between structure and loving encouragement to produce a learning environment that is conducive to all students. Why, then, you might ask, is this type of classroom so elusive in today’s schools? The main reason is that creating this type of classroom is extremely difficult and time consuming. But the end result is so wonderful, shouldn’t we demand it for our children?
W.B. Yeats surmised, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” When your child completes his or her educational experience, what final product would you prefer: a child who is skilled at regurgitating rote information, or one who has been taught there are vast and infinite ideas and concepts to be explored, and their imagination and ingenuity are the limits? I would imagine if given the choice, most parents would choose the latter of the options.
Educational theorist, Jean Piaget once stated, “The principle goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done.” I base my own personal teaching philosophy and the selection of teachers for my child on this quote, and feel it lends itself to every area of learning. Children are natural explorers. Only when parents and educators steal this natural propensity to be curious, do children become rote learners, content to explore no further than their class notes or endless worksheets.
Why should we strangulate our children into a predefined education of black and white? Why stagnate their learning, perhaps inhibiting the child who might otherwise have discovered a cure for cancer, diabetes or Alzheimer’s disease? A student should be encouraged to take information given to them and apply their own special thoughts and imagination, giving an idea the roots to grow into something spectacular!
A teacher who utilizes a variety of materials and gives students firsthand and meaningful experiences is one of the mostvaluable resources a child can be granted. The classroom should be designed so that students feel safe and uninhibited, thereby giving them the opportunity to teach themselves and other students in the class.
By giving students the information and then allowing their natural curiosity to drive exploration in an informal play scenario, the teacher allows the child to take control of how far they want to explore an idea. Thomas Carruthers said, “A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.” This concept is sometimes hard for teachers to swallow, but it is a necessary trait when searching for a superior educator for your child.
Great advances have been made in how children obtain knowledge. Why, then, are we still enslaving our students to teaching philosophies of decades past? If we know that children learn best through hands-on experiences, doesn’t it make common sense to select teachers whose style and classroom management accommodate true learning? It is essential that we move all educators to a philosophy of engaged and developmentally appropriate learning. Children are capable of far more than we give them credit for. Classrooms must become laboratories for the children to achieve and surpass current standards. They must be taught there are no limits to learning. We must teach our children to explore beyond the “correct” and “expected” answer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Classrooms must become laboratories for the children ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
Play is a child’s work. For some reason we have forgotten this. Have you ever heard someone say, “I learned everything I know because I was contained to a desk for eighthours a day, churned out endless worksheets and never had the opportunity to experience knowledge in a hands-on manner.”? Of course not. Therefore, it is imperative we change our mode of thinking as educators and parents and begin a quest to teach our children to teach us. The wonderment in a child’s eyes when he experiences that“gotcha” moment is a humbling experience for everyone involved in the teaching process. If our children are subjected to teachers who instruct at arm’s length in a sterile and stiff classroom, they will never experience this marvel.
Therefore, I ask you to take a child’s eye view of the classroom you are considering for your child. Will the classroom make your child feel safe and secure? Does the teacher interact with the children in a way that encourages them to take an idea and expand on it? Are materials readily available where students can experiment on their own, and are their projects used in the classroom decor? Will the teacher’s classroom management style encourage community and properly discourage unwanted or inappropriate behavior? The whole child should be addressed during instruction, taking into account the child’s particular learning style and personality.
Children must be encouraged to become lifelong learners and instilled with the courage to fly beyond the horizon.
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