In most schools, there is a place where teachers can go to be away from non-teachers. They sit around a table or on a couch and talk freely. We (I almost wrote “you”) non-teachers are fine people; we shouldn’t be offended. But it’s nice for teachers to know that there is one place where they…
Our culture is quite ambivalent about hugs, and about physical contact in general. I suppose the ambivalence is partly due to our cultural diversity. We are influenced by some cultures that are full of hugs, and by others that hardly hug at all. Because culture is part of who we are, it’s possible to develop…
I have lots of friends who are professional storytellers and/or singer/songwriters. I dabble in both myself, and enjoy both. When you see adults who make up great songs or stories, and perform them in ways that make audiences show up, buy tickets, and want to hear more, it’s easy to forget that everybody starts out…
Now that I’ve written about ignorance – about the importance of allowing and encouraging yourself and children to admit that they don’t know everything, let’s consider what you do know. There’s a lot of things you and children know – more every day, in fact. After years of learning, whether you’ve been doing it seven…
Children often look up to us for answers, and sometimes, we don’t know the answers. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. And it’s nothing to hide. Hiding lack of knowledge sets a bad example for children. Children have all kinds of things they don’t know, and they can quickly pick up the habit of concealing…
In many cultures, including my own, it’s considered bad luck to comment on how well things seem to be going. Even some people who believe in a Supreme Being Who is beneficent are nevertheless susceptible to this kind of superstition. And we have a proverb that tells us, “Pride goeth before the fall.” And to…
There are times when you’ve got some work to do, and you want to do it by yourself, or at least without the participation of children. It’s hard work that will be even harder if children participate, perhaps resulting in an inferior product, and/or it’s enjoyable work, and younger hands, voices, etc. will make it…
Advice is a touchy subject. In this paragraph, I’m going to give you advice that I think is phrased ineffectively, and in the next paragraph, I’ll try phrasing it better. Here goes: don’t tell people what you think they should do. When you tell people what you think they should do, you’re casting yourself in…
I was talking about school with a friend who grew up and went to school in Europe. It became clear, after a little discussion, that we had two very different conceptions of school and childhood. Having grown up and gone to school where I did, and how I did, I saw childhood and school less…
There’s a certain image of children that doesn’t work for me. Some people seem to think of childhood as a time of innocence. They think adults have cornered the market on cynicism, cruelty, etc. I love children, but I disagree. I don’t believe in original sin, but I don’t think it takes long to catch…