Think for Yourself – Find Yourself

From the desk of Leigh Ann . . .

“To find yourself, think for yourself.”   – Socrates

As teachers we are tasked to facilitate learning, model appropriate behaviors, and guide students to develop the strategies to become competent readers, writers, and problem solvers.  Striking a balance between allowing them to be independent learners and knowing when to step in can be a challenge.  So how do we provide the balance that allows our students to become self-sufficient while still feeling supported?

Here are a few ideas:

• Model good questioning techniques and brainstorm to provide young children with some strategies to attack problems on their own. “What do you think?”  “How would you solve that problem?”  “What should we do first?”
• Encourage students to take risks in their work.  Let them know it is okay to make a mistake or two along the way because we do learn from those mistakes.
• Celebrate the process more than the product.  Children learn new concepts through the process of practicing and developing the skills needed to be successful at a task.
• Let go of the idea of perfection.  It is easier for us as the resident adults to quickly hang up the fallen coat or organize the blocks in a neat symmetrical pattern, but our students need to be responsible for taking care of their possessions, school materials, and their actions.
• Refrain from the quick answer.  When time is dwindling and a child asks, “How do you spell…?”  it is easier to spell the word, but this deepens the dependence.  Guide the student to write tricky words as they sound and assure them you will edit at the appropriate time.  Even the most accomplished authors have editors.
• Nurture the persistence and inquisitive spirit needed to solve problems independently.  Remind students not to give up, instill in them that they are capable, and let them know that their thoughts are as significant as yours.

It is vital for educators to model responsible behavior and problem solving skills because our students’ eyes are watching how we react to their questions and to life’s  situations.  We are often guilty of rushing in to shield students from disappointment or failure, but by doing this we deny them the chance to develop the self-reliance to become competent problem solvers.  Our students are depending on us to show how the world works and how we work in the world.  Sometimes that means they learn from us and other times it means we encourage them to work it out on their own.  There is a great fulfillment for us as we watch our students succeed, but an even greater sense of fulfillment for them as their confidence grows and they see they are truly capable self-reliant learners.