I'm a big believer in talking for ideas. Just about every one of my lessons allows time for kids to talk BEFORE they write. If I didn't give them semi-structured time to pitch a few ideas to each other, they'd find a way to do it anyway. Making noise is a big part of who they are. It's a big part of the world they live in, too, maybe one of the most important reasons to emphasize the value of silence. Life is loud. So here I go in my old-age harping on today's generation for hooking up to every dang device they can get their hands on. Entertainment flashes at the push of a button. Music plays in their ears. Screens tip side-to-side for Flappy Bird's new buddy Kitty Jetpack. And this is just the battery-operated aspect of life. Busy schedules for either them or their parents (or both) makes for some noisy nights of late dinners and rushed homework.
Because I'm a part of this world, I can understand why some kids come in without completed homework. It's not such a shock to see a blank page when I've asked them to pour their hearts out. Writing asks a lot of kids. I get it. But lately, when kids tell me they didn't have time, they had to study for World Geo, science, Spanish, that they didn't understand, I just wish they had more time to be alone, more confidence in their own thoughts, more space to hear what their minds are trying to say to them.
As I reflect on silence for them, I pledge to seek the same for myself.
Profound...so true. Time to be alone, more confidence in thoughts, more space to hear what their minds are saying...yes, and for us, too.
ReplyDeleteI like the rant in the middle. You make a good point. Most of my students don't do anything quietly except maybe showering. I"m kind of like that, too, though. I usually choose to play NPR as the background for my life. What are we masking with all of this noise? What are we afraid of?
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