If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. —Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher
Listen to the children, and let them guide you. It takes a brave teacher to let go of a preconceived agenda and be led on adventures in the classroom. Skirmishes, squabbles, and hoarding matchbox cars could lead you to just shelve the toys because the children do not share. Or, you could encourage the children to build their own toys from car parts. You could take the children on a field trip to the parking lot to check your car’s oil. The children could explore numbers and letters from license-plate rubbings, sort through pamphlets of new cars, or classify pictures of family cars. You could explore the answer to a four- year-old’s question: “So, how does gas make a car go?” Children are our GPS when we are willing to let them guide their own learning.
In loving memory of Gryphon House author Leanne Grace, MEd, we are sharing pieces of her inspirational writing every Wednesday. Leanne was the director of professional development at Hildebrandt Learning Centers and a lifelong advocate for early childhood education. She inspired the early childhood community to prepare children as lifelong learners with her ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. One person can make a difference, and Leanne did just that. She will be sorely missed.
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