24 May 2024

I've been thinking about mistake making and perseverance lately. There are so many numbers out there about how many times it takes to do something to master it, how the brain needs to fire up to x and y and the repetition required to carve new neural pathways and the like. But, with all that we know about the brain and learning, it's just so difficult for some of our children and, well, some of us adults, to deal with experimenting - but, oh, I'm certain as toddlers and younger people we spent our days getting marmite in our hair and eating dirt and sand, falling over - picking ourselves back up, no rushing, life was slower!

Everything is discovery - for a while. And then for some - it stops. Whilst some aspects are developmental, I think others are about the things we may praise a child for or notice. As we say, 'what you focus on flourishes'. If I am only focused on the best, the end result and forget the process of learning and the steps it takes to get there..... my praise may reinforce and indeed promote the idea of needing to get things right the first time.

I often think of this when I look at my staff. There has been a bit in the news recently about new teachers not being prepared for the classroom. Whilst I agree with this, for many and in many ways...., if we didn't support our 'learner teachers', just like our younger learners, to experiment, take risks (calculated) and experiment - they too may be reluctant to strive and grow and indeed flourish in the profession.

Learning (and teaching) is life-long. Nobody can come out of a tertiary institution with it all. Crikey - I was 20 when I finished, and that was after a 4 year degree, and although I thought I knew a bit, not a lot, I had a chuckle when a pupil from my very first junior class recognised me in Resene, Kilbirnie, a while back. "Did you teach at Puketapu School in New Plymouth a long time ago?. I'm Tania - you taught me to read!"

"Well, Tania...., I'm not sure that I actually did - but I must've at least tried!"  

Our new teachers, our experienced teachers, all of us are learners. I think the day you stop learning, inquiring, testing ideas...., assessing and reflecting, you can't actually teach, you are merely painting by numbers.

Anyway - I'll hop off the soapbox and share this very short video that to me sums it up nicely - and there is only a need for a dishcloth - with no harm done! 

Getting the juice!

I will be out of Wellington from after King's Birthday to the end of the term. Please continue to go through Steph with anything for me and she will put you on to the most appropriate person to match your question!