Don brings stories home from his 4th grade class, Robert, and I experience this with my advisees, sadly. The worst, for me, is that many of the teachers in Don's school tend to help students more than they should, I feel. Don still believes in "constructivist" teaching, where he finds out first what the kids know before just starting to teach a lesson. Let them discover ... but I hear that educational theory is shifting again, and that teachers are encouraged to teach. That of course is to be expected. But when they decorate their classroom pumpkin themselves instead of letting the kids do it, I wonder, what the ...?
I trust this handsome young man is the former "Baby" James. At this point, he doesn't seem to care whether life will be hard or easy. He's just in the moment, and let us hope he can remain there.
What a wonderful comment, George! I wish we could undo our concepts of hard and easy as well programmed citizens, as well as a few other comparative concepts. This is indeed little boy James (21 months), a true adventurer if I ever knew one. He is incredibly observant and open. By the way, on this particular outing celebrating his Uncle Pete's birthday, we walked the farm for about an hour and he went through two apples he picked himself. He eats straight through, without discriminating against the core.
As I told you on FB, Ruth, little James would be Astrid's buddy since she eats all of the apple except the stem. (I have to make sure there's an apple with a stem on it because that's what she hangs onto while she eats it at the end. HA!) Good fiber.
I love your reply about how Don teaches his kids. There's MUCH to be said for him and Goethe both!
This is so true. Something some of us learn too late, alas!
ReplyDeleteTrust Goethe to nail it, as usual.
Don brings stories home from his 4th grade class, Robert, and I experience this with my advisees, sadly. The worst, for me, is that many of the teachers in Don's school tend to help students more than they should, I feel. Don still believes in "constructivist" teaching, where he finds out first what the kids know before just starting to teach a lesson. Let them discover ... but I hear that educational theory is shifting again, and that teachers are encouraged to teach. That of course is to be expected. But when they decorate their classroom pumpkin themselves instead of letting the kids do it, I wonder, what the ...?
DeleteI trust this handsome young man is the former "Baby" James. At this point, he doesn't seem to care whether life will be hard or easy. He's just in the moment, and let us hope he can remain there.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful comment, George! I wish we could undo our concepts of hard and easy as well programmed citizens, as well as a few other comparative concepts. This is indeed little boy James (21 months), a true adventurer if I ever knew one. He is incredibly observant and open. By the way, on this particular outing celebrating his Uncle Pete's birthday, we walked the farm for about an hour and he went through two apples he picked himself. He eats straight through, without discriminating against the core.
DeleteTrue words for today's children. -- barbara
ReplyDeleteAs I told you on FB, Ruth, little James would be Astrid's buddy since she eats all of the apple except the stem. (I have to make sure there's an apple with a stem on it because that's what she hangs onto while she eats it at the end. HA!) Good fiber.
ReplyDeleteI love your reply about how Don teaches his kids. There's MUCH to be said for him and Goethe both!