Let them wonder!

Wonder. To wonder is to let your mind take flight. We live in a big world with a lot going on. If we, as parents and teachers, stick to the lesson at hand, we are taking away the chance for so much more meaningful learning to take place.

My daughter came home from school not long ago, thrilled about the day. When I inquired about what made it so great, she responded, “Our teacher just stopped our math lesson right in the middle of it because there was a thunder and lightning storm happening right outside of our window! She let us ask questions about storms and we learned all about how lightning works! It was so cool!” I was so happy to hear that they skipped the math lesson to make room for such a timely lesson of learning and wonder. My daughter has since checked out several books about weather at the library. Her interest and wonder about lightning storms was brought on by an inspired teacher. What a perfect jumping off point for her.

We need to pay attention to our children and students. What do they need? What can make a difference? Are they engaged? The quality education that we desire for them may not come from the typed lesson plans in front of us. We have to be aware of their interests and willing to change our plans when the occasion arises.

Seeing the world through a child’s eyes is truly remarkable. As adults, we often want immediate answers and certainty. But so many times, the most engaging kind of learning comes from the process of questioning and wondering.

Socrates said, “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.”

From that wonder comes a passion for learning. And that is a lifelong journey worth traveling!

One year as a teacher of fourth grade, I helped my class make a book entitled, “Wonder”. Everyone wrote a question they had about the world and drew a picture to go with it. They all had several questions that they wondered about. I bound the pages together and put it on our classroom bookshelf. This book became a popular choice for reading and a great idea book for research projects. Some of the questions included:

How many animals are there that are undiscovered?

Why are clouds puffy?

How does music get burned onto a CD?

Why do bunnies hop instead of walk?

How can a camera actually capture a picture?

How can a chicken keep running when it’s head gets cut off?

Where did the dinosaurs go?

The discussions that took place in our classroom after this book were amazing! The students were inspired to think big and to question. Let them be amazed and in awe of our great, big world. Let them question. Let them wonder.

As educators, we can guide them to these eye-opening thoughts and questions. As they experience more, they wonder more. Providing a home or a classroom that is rich in exploration and discovery is essential for our children.

Every year the first week of school in my classroom is filled with wonder. We spend a lot of time learning about ourselves and exploring the multiple intelligences (as taught by Dr. Howard Gardner). We learn what we like, what we dislike, what we are interested in and how we learn best. Stations around the room give students the opportunity to explore new things, to wonder and to discover. They can see for themselves how things work. I bring in old computers, radios, telephones and TVs along with a tool box and let the students take things apart. They love to see the inside of these gadgets! They also explore musical instruments, various forms of art, and many other things that help them learn about themselves and the world around them.

We want our children to walk through life with a sense of wonder! As we help to orchestrate that wonder, their minds will be opened to higher level thinking and more meaningful learning. Let’s keep them in awe and excited about this beautiful world we live in.