Still sick. Been a week. Am ded on floor. But still must move. You can imagine the unicorns and rainbows that must be my mood right now. Uhhhrg.
I'll be ok...I think. Probably should sleep earlier than I did last night. However, I chose to be escapist last night and reveled in some of my favorite time wasters. Although, one can argue that they are not time wasters since I got to enjoy some new stories.
I'm not making sense, probably because I coughed a lung out and lost it on my way home today. But the key word in the previous paragraph is chose. Everyone (or nearly) has to choose something at some point. I strongly believe in the power of choice in the classroom. Students get to chose which problem they want to do first on their math homework, or the type of books they would like to read during independent reading time, or whether they get to focus on a simile poem or a conjunction poem that day.
Ok, those aren't really choices per say; I'm still making students do academic things as opposed to, say, letting them run free and do whatever during class time. But there is a semblance of choice, and research shows that students are more likely to do something AND retain the information learned during that something if they choose it themselves.
But what about the students who have no idea what they want? They can't pick between drawing a symbol of Guatemala or a symbol of something else. Then they can't decide what symbolizes Guatemala for them. Then they can't even decide which reference book to look in, this encyclopedia or that encyclopedia, to find a picture of the freaking flag of Guatemala. It's like I have to hold their hand and walk them through a field of eggshells because they are afraid of stepping on a land mine which may or may not actually be there.
Ok, that comparison may not be understood by everyone. Here's another. There is this kid in Sunday school whom I suspect does not get many (if any) opportunities to choose for himself. What kind of cookie does he like the most? He doesn't know. What sport does he like? Dunno. Subject? Nope. Pet? Uh-uh. Color? Has no idea.
Well, ok, he likes red sometimes and blue other times. But still. Most kids his age is either RED!! or BLUE!! He has about the same decision-making skills as a star fish. And star fish have no brains. Too harsh? Maybe. This is kid is great, don't get me wrong. But there comes a point in a child's life when they need to feel confidence in their own power to choose.
Another example: this adorable toddler in children's Sunday school is curious about everything. Which leads to a lot of exploring and touching, especially of things she really shouldn't. One day, she reached out her hand and touched the heater (this is one of those old style radiator heaters with the metal parts that get hot). She had been fascinated by this thing for a long time, always trying to touch it even though we have a baby-proof gate around it. She's gotten a lot taller now and can reach above the gate as well as strong enough to push it aside.
The heater was on, so of course she immediately withdrew her hand. "Hot!" she cried. I was watching her from across the (chaotic - it usually is in preschool) room. She went to all the adults present, pointed to the heater and said, "Hot!" "Yes," we each tell her in turn, "That's why we told you no-touchy." I checked her hand, pressed a cold compress against it for awhile, then turned her loose again.
From that day on, she never touched the heater again. Even when it wasn't even on.
Lesson? The wise old adults told her not to touch it. She chose to touch it anyway. Logical consequence followed. She learned, obviously much better through experiencing it than through someone telling her about it. You can be she won't choose to touch that heater for the rest of her life. Or at least until she grows old enough to discern when the thing is on or not.
It's not just about making the right choices. It's also about knowing you made the right choice - the consciousness that yes, this thing I'm choosing right now is something I'm confident in and believe will do me, and probably other people, good. I know my choices are a part of me - it's metacognition happening at the most fundamental level. That self-awareness and maturity won't happen unless kids are allows to make choices and endure (or enjoy) the logical and natural consequences of their choice.
And when it's not the right choice for yourself, then it's the maturity to accept the consequences. It was probably not a good idea staying up until midnight last night watching anime on hulu.com. But I chose to anyway. And I bear the burden of back sliding a little on the road to getting over this bronchial/tonsil thing. I'll get over it, both the burden and the cold.
Now, choosing a favorite color isn't life-threatening, however I point back to the all important self-awareness. If a kid chooses blue as their favorite color, he/she knows that they are the type of person who likes blue, who enjoys blue, and who can identify with other people who like blue. The kid who has no idea what their favorite color is, doesn't have that. And that's a sad thing.
Unless he's self-aware about his own indecision and can identify with other people who also do not have a favorite color. Then, he's just being elitist. Harsh? Maybe. Maybe I'm just tired and impatient with holding kid's hands and walking them through their perceived field of eggshells and mines. Take a risk, make a choice! You're allowed to change your mind later. If you can't do that in the safety of the classroom where a teacher is there to pick you up, dust you off and guide you towards enlightenment then Lord help you in the real world.
By the way, blue rocks. Because it's the complement of orange. And orange is the most awesome color ever.
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