When I first joined SMARTIES, I felt quite overwhelmed. Being the more bookish sort and a humanities graduate, I adore literature and I can spend ages delving into theory… the very thought of engaging young minds and making science happen in the classroom though scared me to bits. But needs must – we all know that while mental pursuit is wonderful, it is even better with a physical adventure.
We had resolved to craft solid lesson plans, connect concepts to the real world and basically surround our kids with science. It was tough, but the kids demanded and deserved no less, so I had to get out my comfort zone. It was a steep but rewarding learning curve and, thankfully, I had amazing role models in my peers. In demonstrating passion and meticulous preparation for their classes, they showed the kids that they were worth every bit of effort and inspired them to dig deeper.
It was a humbling experience – kids are invariably curious and thirsty for knowledge and naturally, I was worried about not being able to answer all their questions. I was reminded of what Charlotte Mason had said about the teacher’s responsibility:
“Let them learn from first-hand sources of information – really good books, the best going, on the subject they are engaged upon. Let them get at the books themselves, and do not let them be flooded with a warm diluent at the lips of their teacher. The teacher’s business is to indicate, stimulate, direct and constrain to the acquirement of knowledge, but by no means to be the fountain-head and source of all knowledge in his or her own person.”
So I have learnt that it is OK to let the kids know that, like them, I am still learning and that I will try and give them as much information as I can. When I am not able to answer all of their questions – and that will happen more often than not! – they might need to do some research for themselves or I will do some digging too and let them know later. I think that in a way, this creates a deeper sense of respect for knowledge – that no one can completely master any subject. Everyone – teachers included! – is on a wondrous, never-ending quest!
An important lesson for them to remember as students is that they need to take responsibility for their learning. They need to develop a healthy appetite for knowledge – to collect, sift through and unearth all the gems.
Last year, when we covered Earth Sciences online, I was tempted to stick to pictures and slides, but I reminded myself that perhaps we had to try even harder during a lockdown. So I recruited my son and we both got our hands sticky demonstrating what happens when plates collide, drift away and slide past each other using crackers and raspberry jam. We also used Oreos, peanut butter and M&Ms to talk about the structure of the earth.
I still don’t feel completely confident or competent, but I hope that the SMARTIES kids have enjoyed learning with me and the other SMARTIES mums. I do know that I am happy to continue learning with them.
