The longer I watch how my children learn the more I learn that the greatest thing I can do in instructing them is….are you ready for this one….Get out of the way.
Children are natural learners. Now granted, they don’t naturally want to learn their multiplication. (Though a PBS progam on “Fractals” a few weeks ago captured everyone’s attention.) Let’s face it, some of the necessary things in life aren’t real thrilling to learn. (And this is why I could never fully call myself an “unschooler.”)
If you read from a few days ago I outlined how *I* would go about getting chickens versus how Daniel goes about getting chickens.
Since that time, the chicken are doing well, much to my surprise. And part of this is because Daniel, realizing his first chicken coop was a bit shabby, spent the entire day constructing a rock solid chicken coop, complete with braces, a hinged door and a nesting shelf. Did I mention the porch? This afternoon, he is getting it wired. (“By the way, I’ll need eight-gauge wire to compensate for line loss if I wire my fort, Mom.”)
If I had it my way, we’d be waiting for the “How to Raise Chickens” guide from Amazon. And Daniel would have long ago lost interest.
This quote is apropos:
Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”
George S. Patton
Filed under: homeschooling, Individuality, Labels are for Soup Cans, Personal development Tagged: | ADD/ADHD, homeschooling, learning
But, boy, isn’t it hard to get out of the way sometimes. There are many, many times that I have to peel my advice giving self away from the situation so that Padawan Learner can figure it out. Excellent quite. I have a thing for quotes.