“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding ‘danger’ is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
~Helen Keller
Helen Keller was, for a time, the most famous person with a disability in the world. A severe fever at age 19 months left Keller blind and deaf and barely able to communicate. At age six Keller met Anne Sullivan, her beloved tutor, who taught her the alphabet and opened up a whole world of education to her. She went on to college. Why am I telling you this…Well, aside from Ms. Keller being an amazing person- many young children simply don’t know how to communicate to us adults that every time we leap, hover, huff & puff over spilled paint, spots on the floor or drippy dribbles of glue on their clothes…well, that becomes their focus rather than a beautiful painting, collage, or clay sculpture. Sometimes, our well meant intentions to help have hindered or scared or children into second guessing themselves. Now…I am in now way implying children should have a free-for-all throwing wads of clay at one another…but how do we as parents, and teachers of our children feel about allowing them to really “dig into materials” ( with adult supervision-of course) and see where it takes them…..?
No comments:
Post a Comment