Nuggets of wisdom I have picked up from children!

Each profession offers nuggets of wisdom based on the people we work with and the people we serve. As an educator who works with children, I have certainly learnt many lessons from these young lives.

The teacher teaches and the student learns. The student teaches and the teacher learns. It is a two-way dynamics of interacting and sharing. It reminds me about the Gongfu TV serials where martial arts exponents from different schools of training would come together and “exchange pointers” and students at times surpass their teachers when they acquire long-lost and highly invincible martial arts skills. Just because one is young doesn’t mean they cannot teach the adults a thing or two about life. Make efforts to listen to a child’s words with an open mind, and be a student once in a while.

Keep going

You never know when your efforts will pay off. Keep on explaining and sharing your knowledge and understanding with your students if you are a teacher. You never know when they may see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was doing a phonic reading programme with a 5-year-old boy recently and I had him attempt reading two storybooks that were picked. Towards the end, he looked up and said to me, “Wow…I’ve read so many pages?!” and had this look of amazement at the improvement in his own reading ability. Keep going.

Building on past knowledge

Life is less scary when we can relate present challenges and apply past experiences to overcome struggles and difficulties. Acquiring new knowledge also becomes a much easier process when we can relate what we are learning to what we already know. Suppose we ask an 8-year-old “What is 3-2?” The child will confidently reply “1”. Suppose the same child is asked next “What is -2+3?” The child will now look puzzled and not be able to provide an answer. This is because the child isn’t aware that he or she already knows the answer inherently. The child does not recognize that the same information has been presented in an unfamiliar way.

Life sometimes does the same to us. Solutions may not appear obvious when we do not realize that the challenge at hand is the same issue presented in a different context. If we are able to apply wisdom from past experiences, there will be a difference in our capability at problem-solving. Take the knowledge you have and build on it. Draw wisdom from your past experiences. Relate the past to the present. Unknown grounds may no doubt generate apprehension. Unchartered waters may turn out to be an amazing adventure. Are you ready?  

Marilyn Chee is a Singapore-based freelance educator in mathematics and phonics reading.