Maybe I asked for this one, without meaning to. In any case,
this kid cracked me up. And she didn’t mean to, either.
Educational experts seem
to agree.
The very best teachers ask the right questions. Insightful
inquiries tend to elicit intelligent responses and stimulate learning. That’s
no secret. Trained instructors everywhere know this. Students retain much more
information, when they can come up with the answers themselves, instead of
simply absorbing what others spout.
For this reason, skilled teachers try to draw ideas and
information from their audiences, or students, by asking helpful questions.
This strategy helps to keep active discussions on track, encourage student
participation and keep classroom conversations moving in a constructive
direction.
Of course, that may be so, in theory, but nine-year-old girls
are another story altogether.
Here’s how it all got
moving along:
Some time ago, I volunteered to teach the third grade girls
at our church. The curriculum included a series of topics and activities, for
which the children would earn badges and awards. Scripture memory work, hands-on
crafts, creative projects, and lively discussions were the primary projects of
the program.
My co-leaders and I enjoyed a wonderful group of bright,
high-energy young ladies. Our once-a-week gatherings with these kinetic kids
quickly became the highlights of our weeks.
“The most interesting information comes from children, for
they tell all they know and then stop.” Mark Twain (1835 – 1910)
Conscience matters.
After a few months together, we started a unit called
“Conscience: Gift from God.” The chapter began with a few important vocabulary
words, which we needed to define together before moving on with the material.
During our teaching time, the word “conscience” was the
answer I sought. However, as the teacher, I must have had the wrong question.
A single word can
stop a teacher in nothing flat.
“What has God given to you, to help you to know right from
wrong?” I asked.
“Parents?” one child responded.
“Well, that’s true,” I answered. Perhaps it was time to
rephrase the question. “What has He given to all people, to help us decide what
is right and what is wrong?”
“Police?” another suggested.
“Well, that may be true too, but that’s not the word I’m
looking for here,” I said.
The girls looked puzzled. “It’s something God has given to
everyone,” I added, as if that might help to elicit the vocabulary word I
sought. “It’s something inside of you.”
My co-leader tried to help things along by prompting the
kids. “The word starts with ‘con,’” she said.
“And we all have it,” I added.
A hand shot up, right in the front row, followed by a sweet
little voice. “Constipation?”
OK, I admit it. I totally lost it, right about then.
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