3-5-2021

 

Mary’s Minute

 “Kids should be allowed to break stuff more often. That's a consequence of exploration. Exploration is what you do when you don't know what you're doing. That's what scientists do every day.”

                                                   ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson

I recently listened to part of an interview with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson talking about raising children.  He told a story about watching a mother in Central Park who would not allow her toddler, dressed in boots and a raincoat, to stomp in a puddle.  He described how this was a lost opportunity for scientific inquiry.  Learning is inquiry – learning is asking questions and discovering the answers through experimentation.  By allowing children to ask questions and discover answers on their own, learning is propelled.  As parents we sometimes struggle with balancing exploration and natural learning with obvious safety concerns, and sometimes with a sort of intuitive response to say no.  Some of examples of balancing this are obvious with toddlers, as safety is of course very important!  Allowing them to bang on pots and pans and touching a hot pan are both opportunities to learn, but obviously we want to keep our children safe.  Sometimes we say no without even realizing why, and inadvertently we stop inquiry.  

As educators we strive to spark children’s natural curiosity and to set up opportunities that promote inquiry.  I just observed this in elementary students programming Sphero to navigate a maze they had created.  The skillful teacher let students explore, make mistakes, and learn!

We also need to keep our own natural curiosity alive.  We need to constantly explore and ask questions – and even not be afraid to “break things.” 

                                                               Have a great week!

                                                                                 Mary