At the beginning

Categories: Education, Happy Things, Life
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I still remember the day when I was tutoring one of my early morning math students and it finally clicked for him. Multiplication was not his thing. So I had a box of beans and for every problem he’d make his groups and count each bean individually. Gradually I made the groups bigger and made more groups for him. Then one morning he turned to me and asked if there wasn’t an easier way to solve those problems than to count all those darn beans.

Being a teacher is being present at the creation, when the clay begins to breathe. Nothing is more exciting than being nearby when breathing begins. I teach because being around people who are beginning to breathe, I occasionally find myself catching my breath with them.
– Ann Madsen
Being Present at the Beginning,” McKay Today News, 16 December 2013

I loved being their for those beginning moments with my elementary students. I even had those moments while I was teaching college. Those might have actually been bigger because the students would recognize them more for what they were too. It was a great blessing in my life to be a teacher in that way.

I consider it one of my greatest blessings that it works for our family for me to be home with Iddo all day long. To be there at the creation of her knowledge, when her mind takes a new breath. I don’t know how much I’m actually teaching her right now or if I’m just providing an environment for her to do more learning on her own. Either way, it’s a privilege to be there for those moments.

5 shared thoughts about At the beginning

  1. Mama g says:
    Giggle

    I love seeing the “TaDa” moments too. :love:

    Reply
  2. Denice says:
    Giggle

    You are doing the most important job in the world — teaching your own child.

    Reply
    • Brett says:
      Giggle

      And that is why Iddo has a vocabulary of 123 words plus what she’s learned in the last week. :brett:

      Reply
  3. Giggle

    I love watching my students “get it” too. I’m really excited for when it’s my own kids!

    Reply
  4. HeidiAphrodite says:
    Giggle

    We learned a lot and didn’t even know it. Both my parents are educators (my dad more formally than my mom, but they both have degrees in education) and we were just surrounded by things that promoted learning and encouraged curiosity. We like to joke that we win all the “weird childhood toy” contests–my dad got a dictaphone at some warehouse sale for us to play with. 🙂 Whatever you are doing, she is learning, and that’s what counts!

    Reply

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